The Silliest Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom FanFiction Ever Written
by Lord Kristine
Summary: After suffering an unexpected accident, Claire Dearing finds herself biting off more than she can chew . . .
1. Claire's Unfortunate Car Accident

I like Owen Grady. Actually, I _love_ him, if I'm being completely honest. So you might be wondering why I found myself in a situation where I wanted nothing more than to rip his face off.

Yes, literally.

Well, it's a long story, but it all started with a terrible car accident. The crash itself was bad enough on its own, but it was only the beginning of my troubles. At the time, however, I believed that I had reached the direst moment of my life, and quite possibly the last. I mean, I was literally bleeding from the throat, having somehow fallen over the shattered windshield at full force. The glass they use for car windows is designed to shatter into itty-bitty ovals to prevent injury, but for some reason, the base of the windshield remained mostly intact, so when I was launched forward by the unexpected impact, it cut through my neck like a reverse-guillotine. I started choking uncontrollably shortly after. At first, I assumed that I was just winded from the fall, but with each cough, red flecks peppered the car's hood, which meant that I was bleeding internally.

I'm making it sound like I was completely lucid during this time, using reason and logic to figure out what was going on, but while it was happening, my thoughts were racing, bumping into each other, and generally functioning like static-charged ping-pong balls in a fully-inflated bouncy house.

Or something.

Once I realized that I was hurt- hurt _badly_ \- my first thought was, "Oh, god, don't let Maisie see this." The poor girl had witnessed so much death already, seen more than any child should ever lay eyes upon . . . You know what I'm getting at. I didn't want her to watch me die as well. I mean, we had only just started to grow close, and I was afraid that this tragedy would plant seeds of mistrust in her heart, make her fear the cruelty of the world around her . . . stuff like that. I didn't want to die, not for my own sake, but for hers. If I died that day, her future would be even more uncertain than it already was.

Like I said before, I love Owen, but he is NOT ready to raise a child on his own. Not a human child, anyway. He managed just fine with Blue, I guess. Thank god he wasn't successful in bringing her back into the mix. I mean, can you imagine having to deal with an adopted child AND an unpredictable prehistoric animal? Of course, Owen was about to face something far worse than a raptor. Worse than the Indominus Rex, worse than the Indoraptor . . . a _real_ monster. I can't even begin to describe it.

There is nothing deadlier than an intelligent creature who knows how to effectively manipulate its human peers on a personal level. It's cruel. It's completely and utterly amoral. There is nothing forgivable, nothing _human_ about what I did, and I don't think I can ever move past the shame I feel now, having done such terrible things. And it all began when that strange woman got out of her car.

"Holy shit, HOLY SHIT!"

Owen, meanwhile, was holding my throat closed. I think I may have coughed blood on his shirt, but my vision was blurring at the time, so I can't say for certain.

"Call an ambulance!" Owen barked before turning back to me, "Hang on, Claire, hang on . . ."

"I don't have a phone, but I have- OH! I think I can _save_ her!"

"Are you a doctor?"

She clicked her tongue.

". . . No."

"Then what _are_ you?"

And that's when things got weird.

"Listen, I'm from a world adjacent to yours. I came here because our former Queen, who I am a projection of, went missing, and our records indicate that she passed through this world, causing a car crash at the end of a Lord of the Rings crossover special. I came here to find her, but inadvertently caused a car crash of my own, meaning I ruined the ambiguity of wondering which car crash she caused at the end of the story, but the good news is, if she indeed came here many years ago, odds are, you're all infected with the Volatus Virus."

I'm not sure that explanation would have made sense even if I was in good health.

"What the _hell_ are you talking about?" Owen snapped, " _What_ virus?"

"The one that's gonna save Claire's life, thank you very much!" she crowed, "A while back, the _other_ former Queen had an accident where she impaled Bryce Dallas Howard on her horn, meaning she would have been infused with Stegoceratops DNA prior to the filming of Fallen Kingdom, and by _that_ logic, _this_ Claire is similarly infected."

Owen blinked. The strange woman started pacing back and forth.

"Crossing over to this world, I used a fission-powered time machine, and if I let out a wave of nuclear energy, it will activate the virus in those who were infected over the years. If we shock Claire using those car-cable thingies, she'll start changing into a Stegoceratops, and the virus will read it as her being killed by a dinosaur, which she will then become, and thus recover from her untimely death. It's simple."

Owen shook his head.

"You're out of your-"

"I promise, it makes sense. Just let me do my thing, and we can save her. There's no way an ambulance will make it here in time, so I'm your last, best hope."

Why did Owen agree to her nonsense? Perhaps it was desperation. The knowledge that this haphazard plan was the only feasible (and I use that world _incredibly_ lightly) way to save my life may have been enough to convince him that it was at least worth a try.

And try, they did. Owen had Maisie bring him the booster cables (irresponsible) and hooked them up to the car while she wept over my soon-to-be-dead body ( _very_ irresponsible), and the strange woman got ready to press the button that would send a nuclear wave rippling through the entire world (probably the most irresponsible thing of all). When she hesitated, Owen clenched his fists.

"Well?! What are you _waiting for_?!"

She crouched over my body, biting her lip.

"Nothing. It just occurred to me that the Volatus Virus has been in this world for a decade, more or less, and has perhaps had time to mutate unpredictably. That, combined with the fact that literally everyone on Earth will be affected . . ."

"Save Claire," Owen said flatly.

"Yes, but I'm just warning you that the damage control-"

" _Save. Claire._ "

She sighed.

"Fine . . . Oh, Lord, what horror hath I wrought-"

"JUST _DO_ IT!"

She closed her eyes tight and pressed the button. I didn't feel a thing, but I guess it must have worked. They hooked me up to two metal clamps and moved to the other end of the cables, and holy shit, I don't think I've ever felt pain like that in my entire life! It ran through me like- Well, like electricity, I guess, and my vision faded from bright red to black.

And that was how I died.

It didn't last long, however, because I suddenly found myself gasping for air, interrupting a loud argument between Owen and the strange woman. I coughed up some kind of fluid- probably more blood- and rolled onto my front. What came next was by no means as painful as the electrocution, but it wasn't exactly a bucket of laughs, either. There was a kind of muted aching all over my body, which had begun to _shift_ in different ways. All I could see was my hand in front of me, which was grabbing at the roadside gravel, only that distraction didn't last. I thought I might be hallucinating, because there came a point when I didn't _have_ any fingers to grab with. I settled on pawing the dirt with a disgusting elephantine foot, surprised and frustrated and terrified all at once.

If there was one improvement, it was in my health. The extra ventilation hole in my throat closed up, so I tried to say something, except it came out as a _moo_. I don't know why, but this was what shocked me the most. I went rigid, then turned to look over my shoulder. I did not like what I saw.

"Oh, hey! Her frill is different!" the strange woman chirped, "I guess it's because she grew out her hair before changing."

"Is she okay?" Owen breathed, "She looks like she's not okay."

What do you do when you wake up from a near-death experience and discover that you're living in a body that's not your own? Well, I'm not sure what the sensible reaction is, but personally, I lost my shit. I remember bucking and screaming and rolling around in the dirt, probably putting Owen and the others in a very dangerous situation, since I wasn't yet in control of the spiked tail fastened to my rear. They tried to calm me down, but to no avail. I was fat, green, and ugly, and it was not a happy change, I'm sorry to say.

All this panic came to a sudden halt when I felt another shift happening. I dug my front legs into the dusty gravel, petrified. Something was horribly wrong.

"What the- Oh, shit! Her knee!"

The strange woman must be talking about me, I realized, so I tucked my head between my legs to see what the hell she was on about. My injured knee, the one the Indoraptor punctured with its claw, seemed to be burning. Actually, my scales were just turning black- and yes, I had _scales_ now. One by one, the little green ovals on my leg darkened, spreading out in a honeycomb pattern. My joints began to ache, and I heard a disconcerting cracking sound.

"Oh my god . . ."

I'm not sure who said it, but they were absolutely right. This was NOT normal. My toes hurt like hell, and when I kicked my leg, they felt heavier than before. My back started to itch, and as I tried to bend my head over it, I found quills poking out of my hide, slivering between my plates (PLATES, OH GOD!), as though a porcupine was trying to inflate through my back. Those spikes weren't there before, I was sure.

I jumped as my spine began to pop. Bumpy segments shot up from the base of my neck, all the way down to where my tail met my body. And then the feeling moved down my arms, and I saw fingers sprouting from my feet once more, except they weren't _human_ fingers.

They were claws.

I stretched them out, turning them around . . . _testing_ them. These, I liked. These, I wanted to _use_. I didn't even notice what was happening to my neck and face, I was so enthralled by my talons. As sharp teeth slid out of the corners of my mouth, I noticed something else.

Owen.

He was standing there, watching me. He was afraid. He was ready to run. And I-

Well, I was ready to use my claws.

In that moment, I realized just how much I wanted to kill him.

I think the worst part about it was that I wasn't baring my teeth or growling or anything like that . . . I was _smiling_. The idea of killing him . . . well, it was just a game to me. And I was ready to win.

As I lunged forward, however, another force brought me to my knees. The strange woman had somehow managed to sneak up behind me and clip the booster cables on my plates. The same shock as before ripped through my chest. It hurt like hell. But worse than that, the strange woman started clobbering me with a large, blunt object. I might be misremembering, but it looked like a massive . . . um . . . _phallus_. It took a few blows to the head before she managed to knock me out.

***TSJWFKFEW***

When I awoke, I was lying in a cage. I leapt to my feet, looking around for any sign of Owen, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Damn it. He had gotten away from me.

Pacing back and forth, I tried to find a way out. I was too- erm- _large_ to fit through the bars, save my slender arms, and biting them wasn't doing much for me either. There was a keypad within my reach, but after a few attempts at guessing the code, I decided not to risk locking it permanently. Even if it didn't operate like a smartphone, there was no use wasting my time guessing. My best bet was to wait for another person to show up. Luckily, it wasn't long before someone did.

The strange woman entered from a door on the opposite side of the room, which as a whole appeared to be some kind of abandoned laboratory. My cage was located in the center of the lab, obviously a new addition among the dust-covered tables. She trotted up to my cage with a pained smile.

"Hi, there! I'm glad to see you're awake. How are you feeling?"

I tried to say something, but it came out as a kind of growling bark.

"Great!" she chirped, "Happy to hear it. I don't think we were properly introduced. My name is Moonwatcher. I'm kind of in charge of this place, since our former Queen went missing-"

I snuffed.

"This isn't unusual, no. She's very eccentric. I'm just worried that it's permanent this time . . . Anyway, I've been charged with, well, pretty much _everything_ , so you can probably guess why this little hiccup reflects poorly on my record. I mean, in literally less than an hour, I somehow managed to fuck up the entire canon of Jurassic World, heehee . . ."

Those last few words sounded like something out of a broken webpage. I cocked my head, rumbling with confusion.

"I'm sorry, that's all the exposition you're getting, darling. I don't know how else to explain it to you. I poked my nose into your world, and somehow you're a dinosaur now. But don't worry. You're not alone. Turns out, that little stunt I pulled created fifty shades of havoc, so you're gonna be making some friends over the next few weeks."

I whimpered, gesturing to my body.

"Oh, yes. We can fix that . . . I think. We took a blood sample, so in a few hours, we'll see just how reversible this . . . _condition_ is. Don't worry. If all else fails, we can go looking for the former Queen. _She'll_ know how to fix this."

I lowered my head.

"Like I said, don't worry about it. We've dealt with this kind of thing before, believe you me, and we-"

When she was close enough, I lashed out. She fell backwards, eyes wide.

"Holy shit . . ."

I had miscalculated the distance between us. I snapped my jaws in frustration. She didn't seem impressed.

"Yeah, we're gonna need to work on that attitude, missy. I assume you're still somewhat sentient, so you should be able to pull it together if you try hard enough."

It was true, I hadn't lost my sentience. I still had all of my memories, and I still _thought_ like a human. It was just that overtop my usual self was a layer of bloodthirsty monster, and combined with my human intelligence, it was a dangerous mix. I think that was the scariest part: knowing that I wasn't a _pure_ monster. If it had been some primal instinct driving me to kill, I could have at least excused it by saying that the _real_ me was shouting "STOP!" at the back of my mind. But it wasn't. I was still myself. I was still Claire Dearing, but it was a version of Claire Dearing that wanted to rip open whoever crossed my path, just for the fun of it.

"Well, I'll leave you to it, then."

I hadn't realized that that would be it. I thought she would have more to say. As she slammed the doors shut, I yowled to get her attention, but if she heard me, she didn't care to answer.

I was alone.

The only thing that got me through that night was thinking about Owen. I imagined what would have happened if Moonwatcher had been slower in zapping me, if I had had the chance to reach Owen unhindered. I thought about how good it would feel to sink my claws into his chest and pull down until his flesh was bloody ribbons. I imagined doing it again and again in different ways until I fell asleep, dreaming of much the same thing.

***TSJWFKFEW***

I regained consciousness to the sound of voices. Familiar ones. Owen and Maisie were sitting in folding chairs on the other side of what appeared to be a hastily-painted yellow line on the floor, backs turned to me. I was surprised that I had slept through their entry, but my drowsiness combined with three pinpoints in my chest indicated why that might be.

"When she wakes up, is she coming home with us?"

Owen put his arm around Maisie's shoulder.

"Of course she is, sweetheart. Why _wouldn't_ she?"

"I don't know. Maybe she changed her mind."

"About what?"

"About being a family."

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't think she likes me."

Owen laughed.

" _Of course_ she likes you. Why wouldn't she _like_ you?"

"She was going to let them die."

He shook his head.

"I promise, she's not mad at-"

"What if she thinks _I_ should have died, too?"

There was a long silence. I should have been horrified by this revelation, but I was busy formulating a plan to draw them closer to me. Owen, on the other hand, just sat there in stunned silence, mouth agape. He shook his head, stunned.

"Maisie . . . Claire doesn't think- I mean, she'd _never_ -"

"She didn't want them to live. She thinks they don't _belong_ here. And _I'm_ like _them_."

Owen crouched in front of her, holding her shoulders.

"There is a huge, _huge_ difference between a dinosaur and a human being, Maisie."

"What about Blue? You raised _her_ like a human being."

He sat down again, shaken.

"It was more like raising a dog."

"But she was like a daughter to you."

"Only because she didn't have a fam-"

He realized that that was precisely the wrong thing to say. Unfortunately, Maisie had picked up on his meaning, so he tried to brush it off instead.

"Maisie, I promise that Claire loves you very much. Once she recovers from her accident, she can tell you herself."

"What if she _doesn't_ get better?"

Owen's eyes flicked over to my cage briefly.

"She'll get better, I promise."

I wondered if Maisie could hear the lump in his throat, too.

"Will she be mad at me?"

"No, sweetheart. She won't be mad at you."

"But if it wasn't for me, none of this would have happened."

Owen shook his head.

"This is NOT your fault. I mean, if anything, _I_ was the one driving . . ."

"Do you think that's why she attacked you?"

"Maybe. I've seen her get angry before. She might just be upset with me. But let's not get too close until we're sure it's safe, okay?"

Maisie turned to face me, and I tried to look as innocent as possible, despite my terrifying appearance.

"I feel sorry for her."

Owen took a deep breath.

"Yeah, me too. But she'll get better in no time, you'll see . . ."

It was then that Moonwatcher burst into the room, carrying a tangle of scrolls in her arms.

"Good news, everyone! We found out that Claire's situation is completely reversible!"

Owen let out a sigh of relief, and Maisie squeezed his hand.

". . . There is _one_ hiccup, however. We need to purge the Indoraptor-bits from her system before changing her back, or she could revert back to this state as a human, which is not ideal. We're working on a fix right now, but it's probably gonna take a few weeks before we get her back to her normal, green self."

Owen's face fell.

"A few weeks? . . ."

"Yep. In the meantime, we'll be patching up all the other . . . _missteps_ in the canon. We've got a lot of un-dead people to deal with, and most of those people are dinosaurs. We'll have them brought in here over the next few days. I'm glad we're finally putting this location to good use. It's a nice callback."

As the conversation went on, I learned a few things. First, I was being stored in an underground facility that had a long history in what Moonwatcher called "The Narrative", which roughly translates to "things that have happened" and "things that are happening right now". Following this reveal, I learned that Moonwatcher fancies herself an author, or at least a _writer_ , and had taken on the challenge of "narrating" current events in lieu of her missing former Queen. She was cocky, this one, and I was sure I could use her arrogance to my advantage.

As they left the room, I decided to try my luck with Maisie first. She had strayed behind the pack, and was just within hearing range. I made a sound to approximate her name, hoping to get her attention. She turned, and I smiled at her. Instead of coming closer, she whipped around and ran to grab Owen's hand, disappearing as the doors slammed shut once more.

She was a clever girl, this one, but so was I.

And Owen was not.

***TSJWFKFEW***

The next day, I set my trap. When Owen came down for a visit, he found me lying on my side, wheezing in pain. He rushed over, dropping a dish of fish heads that was probably meant for me. I whimpered, reaching through the bars with one paw. He held out his hand, grazing his fingers over my pronated palm, tears stinging at his eyes.

"Claire, hang on! I'm going to get help!"

As he turned, I let out a pained wail. I couldn't let him escape. Luckily for me, he listened to my plea and turned around apologetically.

"I'll be back, I promise."

I made a dolefully churring sound, gazing up at the keypad with a glazed expression. Owen gulped.

"I . . . I'm not sure I can let you out. I don't even know the code . . ."

I winced, grabbing at my chest. As he turned away once more, I screamed and reached out for him, tears pouring down my cheeks.

I've always been proud of my ability to cry on command, but this whole situation was _so_ messed up.

"Claire, Claire, Claire . . ."

He grabbed the bars with both hands, making eye contact with me.

"I saw her punch in the code when they tranquilized you. I don't remember all of it, but there were four digits, and it started with a three . . ."

Poor, gullible Owen. Love was his greatest weakness. It's what brought him back to the island, after all.

"Three, two? . . . Three, one? . . . It was one of those, but I can't remember the rest."

Slowly, a smile spread across my face.

What is the most obvious, most poetic four-digit code a wannabe author would program into a holding device?

C-A-G-E

3-1-7-5

With a triumphant snarl, I pounced, jamming my arm between the bars and hitting the keypad with deadly accuracy. The door clicked open. Owen was mine.

Naïve as he was, Owen was no longer fooled by my ruse. Not when I was practically salivating over his head. He sprinted across the room, making a dash for a set of cattle prods lined up neatly along the walls.

There was no way I was letting him reach them.

I leapt out of my enclosure, barking furiously. My claws snapped against the concrete as I gained on Owen, promptly knocking him down and digging my talons into his back. He screamed. Oh, how I'd enjoy this.

But as I opened my jaws, something hit the side of my head. I turned and saw Maisie standing by a stack of paint jars. Two hunts in one day. I wasn't at all unhappy to see her.

I lifted my foot from Owen's back, but before he could get up, I sliced his ankle, preventing him from trying anything funny. He screamed as his pant-leg was stained red, but I was too excited to care. I had my sights set on another quarry.

As I prowled towards Maisie, her eyes began to fill with tears, and she stumbled backwards, unsure of whether to run away from me or stand completely still and appeal to my nonexistent better nature.

Oh, this would be SO easy.

"I'm sorry, Claire."

Her words meant nothing to me. I was ready- _so ready_ \- to kill her.

"I didn't mean to make you this way," she sobbed.

Drool was dripping between my teeth, hitting the floor with a gentle _thwack_.

"I've let you down again."

Something fluttered in my heart.

"I love you."

And she was just standing there, waiting for me to kill her, as though it was the most natural thing in the world. She believed that I truly and sincerely wanted her dead, that I was trying to exterminate her like the last of the dinosaurs. I was validating her worst nightmare: it must seem like I didn't view her as worthy of occupying a place in this world. To her, this must seem like an execution. Like something I _wanted_. And I _did_. Only-

At the very last second, I swerved away, instead scampering towards the open cage. I didn't know how long I would last, but I refused to waste a single second of awareness. I slammed the door shut and pressed myself against the opposite side of the cage, as far away from Owen and Maisie as possible, and for the first time since I changed, I spoke.

"Run! Run! Get away from me!"

And they did.

I continued to lean against the cage, hoping to keep myself away from them for as long as possible, but I didn't have to worry about that. They were long gone by the time I found myself sliding down the bars, collapsing into a weeping mess of a dinosaur.

I haven't seen them since then. In a way, I'm not looking forward to any future encounters. What I did . . . Well, what I _almost_ did . . . I just don't know if I can ever fix that.

 _And that's why you agreed to go through with this program, correct?_

Yes. I was hoping that you could help me get rid of . . . get rid of the parts of me that I don't like. Get me back to normal . . . if that's even possible . . . I know it won't be easy, but I'll do anything- and I do mean _anything_ \- to make up for the things I've done.

 _Alright, then this concludes our first meeting. We'll start making preparations for Week One._

Thank you . . . and if you see Maisie . . .

. . . Tell her I'm trying to get better.


	2. Owen's Bloody Leg Splint

I thought I was scared to see Owen again back when it was my job to convince him to return to Isla Nublar with me. I _was_ scared, I gues _s,_ but looking back, that fear was nowhere near the terror I felt speculating about any future encounters after having mauled his leg. See, I didn't do anything wrong by leaving him way back when- Well, okay, maybe I did a _few_ things wrong, but we were equally responsible for that mess. Now, knowing that I had severely wounded him- physically AND emotionally- things were different. This wasn't something I was equipped to deal with. I didn't even know where to start.

How does one apologize for attempted murder? I don't think there's any normal way to go about it, especially since my condition . . . well, it's not entirely gone. In fact, one might go so far as to say that it's almost as bad as it was before, just a little less unexamined.

I still think about killing Owen, and frequently. I still imagine what could have happened if I'd been more cunning, and I still garner twisted pleasure from these savage fantasies. And having had a taste of a real-life Owen-hunt, my violent impulses became harder to resist, in many ways.

Remembering the smell of blood and fear still fills me with excitement, even now. And yes, I can smell fear, I guess. It's intoxicating, and it fuels my . . . bad habits. The effect it has on me is something like lust, but in the worst possible way. I know it sounds counterintuitive and unhealthy, but the feeling isn't too distant from the love I feel towards Owen, not that I have the guts to tell him. Part of me wants to explain that there's something positive in this sentiment, that wanting to hurt him is an expression of a desire he'd usually find flattering. But then I realize how that would come off to someone who doesn't understand my emotional logic, and I decide to keep these feelings to myself.

I'm not sure how much I should tell Owen, in general. On one hand, it feels wrong to lie or to provide half-truths, but it would be equally difficult to admit that I still want to murder him, even though I'm trying to dull those compulsions. There's really no safe way of explaining myself, much less apologizing. There isn't some obvious balancing point between being honest about my violent urges and making Owen feel as though he can trust me again. I guess he can't, can he? That's the problem. But I'm trying _so_ hard to improve, and even though I haven't been tremendously successful thus far, I have to keep believing that progress is possible, slow as it may be, or I don't see any point in continuing this process.

I tried to formulate a series of potential Owen-apologies, but I never came close to expressing my shame and regret coherently. The perfect words were out of my reach, if they even existed at all. I spent a good few days worrying about our next encounter, but I still wasn't ready when the time finally came to see Owen. He entered the lab without much fanfare, providing me with no forewarning to prepare for his arrival. As it turns out, being in the same room as him only made my urges skyrocket, and it took me a few seconds to remember why I shouldn't pull a stunt like last time.

When I was sure that I could look at Owen without losing control, I realized that something had changed. It wasn't just the splint on his leg, though that was certainly hard to look at, but the expression on his face was like a dagger in my chest. I realized just how _wrong_ my actions were, finally grasping the severity of my betrayal. This understanding was followed by a tidal wave of anguish, and for a moment, I was myself again.

"Owen, I'm _so_ sorry . . ."

Without meaning to, I reached through the bars, but this time, he didn't touch my paw. He stood staring at me until I had the good sense to withdraw my extended arm, shrinking away in shame. I opened my mouth to say something, but I drew a blank. I struggled to choke out something- _anything_ \- but every script I had formulated over the past few days evaporated on the spot. I fell silent, ashamed that I couldn't offer the apology Owen was clearly waiting for. He remained stone-faced as I gave up on taking the reigns of the conversation, and after a pause, he took a deep breath.

"How are you doing?"

I didn't know how to answer that. I was definitely not doing okay at the moment, but any admission of this would seem manipulative. On the other hand, claiming that I was doing just peachy might give the impression that I was perfectly okay with my wrongdoings, which wasn't exactly flattering either.

"I'm . . . I'm surviving," I stuttered.

Not a _great_ response by any stretch of the imagination, but not as bad as it could have been. Unable to tolerate the emptiness, I decided to continue the conversation from my side, tongue-tied though I may be.

"How are _you_?"

(Oh, brilliant, Claire: ask him how he's holding up after you tore his leg to shreds. I'm sure he's just fine.)

"They say I'll be able to walk normally in a week or two, as long as the wound isn't infected."

Yikes.

"How's Maisie?" I asked, digging the hole deeper.

He raised his eyebrows.

"Funny you should ask. She's been hiding in her room all week, growling whenever people walk past. She's wearing a foam tail and claws, so my best guess is that she's pretending to be a dinosaur. Not in a playful way: more like a psychologically-damaged kind of deal. She bit me this morning."

He lifted his arm, and sure enough, there was a ring of tooth-marks near his wrist. My heart dropped.

"So _that's_ how Maisie's doing," he finished.

If I could have willed myself to die right then and there, I would have done it. I'd be inclined to say that things couldn't possibly get worse, but every time that thought occurs to me, I'm almost immediately proven wrong.

"I have to get back to her soon," Owen stated flatly, "We're going to bring in the others later today."

"The others?"

"The other dinosaurs," he clarified, "You're not the _only_ one who had an accident. We'll be using this space to house the troublemakers. In the meantime, think of any accommodations you may need. Have they been feeding you enough?"

"I think so . . ."

It was hard to tell. My new body had been difficult to get a feel for, as far as acclimation was concerned. My urge to kill was divorced from my sense of hunger, but I hadn't been expelling much of my diet into the grated portion of my cage, so maybe I was indeed being underfed. Not that I particularly cared. It was already humiliating enough having someone clean up my smaller leavings.

"Then we won't change your schedule. Someone will deal with you shortly."

Oh, god. The way he _phrased_ that.

I gulped.

"Are you coming b-"

"Not today. I'm spending the evening with Maisie. It's her birthday."

Ah. So _that's_ how things could possibly get worse.

"Goodbye."

As he turned to leave, I made a desperate dash towards him, jamming my arm through the bars.

"Owen, wait!"

He stopped walking, but did not turn to face me. Understanding that this was the most I could hope for, I fought the tears pricking at my eyes, steadying my voice with a deep breath.

"I am so, _so_ sorry."

A pause. He started moving forward.

"Owen!"

"I heard you."

"Owen, I swear I'm not lying!"

He didn't stop. I clutched the bars, pressing my face between them in desperation.

"Owen, _please_!"

He wheeled around.

"How am I supposed to _believe_ you, Claire? How can I be sure that this isn't another trick?"

"Because I'd never-"

Now, THAT was a lie.

I took a deep breath.

"Because you _know_ me."

"Do I?"

Silence. Owen continued to glare at me.

"For the past few days, I've been asking myself why you'd do this to me, what could have possibly pushed you to acting out like you have no self-control. But we're talking about the same person who left me broken-hearted until she needed me to find her nephews, who left me twisting in the wind until she needed me to save her precious dinosaurs, and who has _repeatedly_ proven that she has _zero_ respect for me or anybody else in her life, until she finds some use for them. So, all things considered, I think hurting me is just what you _do_."

My breath came out in sobs.

"Owen! . . ."

He turned, breaking his hateful glare. The doors slammed shut. I collapsed, curling into a scaly ball and weeping until sleep found me.

***TSJWFKFEW***

I didn't realize that I was dreaming until I found myself digging my talons into Owen's waist, beak tearing away chunks of flesh like he was made of popcorn. I distantly remembered that in my waking hours, I had just endured the pain of realizing why indulging this specific fantasy was a bad idea. I tried to wish away the gory tableau dancing in my semi-conscious field of vision. "But this violence is consequence-free," I thought to myself, "There's no harm in dreaming about the hunt, as long as you don't _actually_ hurt him." Owen reappeared in my mind's eye, but I tried to bat him away like smoke. I shouldn't be doing this, even in my dreams. "Just one little bite, and you'll feel better," I contemplated, "He doesn't have to know." The dream-Owen gazed up at me with worry, igniting a flurry of conflicting emotions. God, he would be _so_ easy to slaughter in this psychologically-damaged state, but that look of betrayal was giving me pause. I reached out, trying to hold him like I did when I was human.

"Owen, I'm scared . . ."

He backed away, fading into darkness.

"Please don't leave me!" I cried out, "Please! . . . I love you . . ."

"It's over, Claire."

I was in the mansion again. The fossil displays were bathed in pale moonlight. Everything else was pure darkness.

"Owen, where _are_ you?" I whispered.

I caught a glimpse of my reflection, virtually indistinguishable from the mannequins behind the glass. I was a monster. Reaching out to touch my mirrored paw, I felt my heart flutter.

 _BANG!_

I screamed as an electric current coursed through my body. Owen was shooting at me. I swivelled my neck around, trying to locate him in the darkness.

"Owen, please-"

Another jolt. I screamed in pain.

"Owen, this isn't _me_!"

A pause.

"It is now."

My beak quivered.

"No . . ."

I turned to face the ceratopsian skull mount. It crackled with electricity, eye sockets flaming.

"It's too late, Claire. This is what a monster deserves."

The skull tilted forward, horns snapping with blue cords of light. As it fell upon me, I felt the pain of electrocution tearing me apart.

A flash of red, and I bolted upright in my cage. I sat propped up on my forearms, panting with terror. As the physical pain of the dream faded away, a new kind of distress began pulsing through my veins. My breaths became erratic, and tears slipped down my cheeks. I wept until my neck finally went limp, hanging like a swan's. It was then that I noticed something in my cage, bright pink and blurry in my tear-filled eyes. I leaned forward to sniff it, and the sweet smell of strawberries filled my nostrils.

Instead of eating the cake, I pulled it towards my chest and curled around it protectively, praying that my nightmares would not return.

***TSJWFKFEW***

I awoke to the sound of loud machinery and shrill beeps. Wondering if I had somehow warped to a construction zone, I lifted my head sharply, snapping my gaze around the changed room. New cages had been wheeled in, not too far from my own, and they were filled with the strangest assortment of dinosaurs I'd ever laid eyes upon. A metallic-teal ceratopsian was wedged in the corner of the room beside a similarly-proportioned reptile with a thick-looking hide and a maw full of sharp teeth. A bizarre dinosaur that looked like a failed Indoraptor paced back and forth in the cage behind me, tail dragging limply and belly sagging like a sack of wheat. As it turned, I was surprised to see a metal arm dragging across the floor.

My heart leapt as a fierce revving sound came from the cage on my right, and spinning around, I came face-to-face with what looked like a horned T-Rex on wheels. It scowled at me and snorted exhaust from its nostrils.

"Nice to see you again, Claire."

My eyes went wide.

"El-"

I shrieked as my cage was jostled by a new entry: some crested creature with a plush-looking dome-head was rolling in, but it didn't seem too aware of its surroundings. Sad eyes peered out at me beneath a crown of spikes. The animal gazed at my frill with confusion, and perhaps a hint of recognition, and lifted its head off of its folded arms, suddenly interested by my presence. I stared back at it, trying to place the familiar eyes, but the cage was pushed deeper into the lab, until it rested between the enclosures that housed the toothy ceratopsian and the tail-dragger. I wheeled around in panic.

"What's going on? Who _are_ these-"

I yelped as the lab doors swung open, revealing two uncaged hybrids. The sound of claws and hooves (respectively) echoed off the walls as they approached me. When they got close enough, I identified a light blue quadruped with red fins and a long neck, and a frilled biped with raptorish features, not including its rear end, which resembled that of a horse. The blue thing grinned at me through a nut-shaped beak.

"Claire, hi! It's been a while!"

I did a double-take.

"Zia?!"

She laughed.

"Yeah, I almost didn't recognize you either. This is Franklin, in case you were wondering," she said, gesturing to her companion, "We weren't supposed to be here, but there was a mix-up, and we were shipped across the border for assessment, just like the rest of 'em. We get to go back home when this is over, along with that bumpy one over there."

When she pointed at the orange-purple ceratopsian, it touched its chest with offence. Ignoring this, Zia turned back to me.

"I'm pretty sure we're the only survivors here- wait, does it count as 'surviving' if you die and come back as a dinosaur?"

"It counts as _weird_ ," Frankling muttered.

"Work on your comebacks, kiddo," Zia retorted, knocking his glasses askew as she slapped his back, "But anyway, he's not wrong. This is all _very_ weird. But I kind of like it, to be honest."

" _I_ don't."

"Again, Franklin, nobody asked you," Zia snarked, "But in any case, this is only a temporary gig. We have a few weeks to enjoy the island, so it's basically a free vacation . . . with dinosaurs!"

"The island? . . ." I echoed.

"Yeah, Isla Nublar."

I cocked my head.

"Zia, you were with us when Isla Nublar _melted_ , right? . . ."

She snorted.

"Gosh, Claire, I totally forgot about that. Yeesh, what do you take me for? Of course I don't mean _our_ island. Don't you know that we're on _another_ Isla Nublar, the one in a parallel universe that _didn't_ get blown up?"

"No, I didn't know that, actually . . ."

She shook her head with disbelief.

"Man, did they tell you _anything_? You've been here longer than us, haven't you?"

"I . . . I haven't left this cage since I got here," I admitted.

She raised her eyebrows.

"Wow, bummer. Don't worry. They'll let you out once they realize you're not dangerous. We good guys get to roam free. The only reason they kept toothy locked up is because she bit one of them."

"In self defence!" a female voice called out from a cage behind me.

Zia rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, anyway, me and Franklin didn't do anything like that, so they're pretty sure we're safe to be around. Once your file is cleared, you can stay in the room next to ours. They have really nice shampoo- Oh, I guess you don't have hair. We both got horns, though, so that's cool. Have they said anything about letting you out yet?"

"I . . . I don't think . . . No, they haven't," I coughed.

Zia clicked her tongue.

"That's no good. I'll have to flag someone down and-"

I shook my head quickly.

"No, that's okay. My situation is . . . complicated."

She shrugged.

"Well, okay. If you say so. Listen, if you need anything, just ask. It seems like you got the short end of the stick, as far as accommodations go."

I gulped, turning my head away.

"Yeah. It seems like I did."

She smiled warmly.

"Well, that's alright. I'm sure they'll figure everything out soon, and we'll be back to normal before you know it. Hey, I saw Owen this morning. Have you two spoken yet?"

I tried to maintain my composure, but I could feel myself slipping. Noticing the grief in my mien, Zia's face softened.

"Claire? . . . Are you okay? . . ."

I couldn't stop myself from bursting into tears.


	3. Maisie's Suspiciously Messy Room

Although the periodic visits from Zia and Franklin filled me with joy, there was always a feeling of envy that overcame me whenever they entered the room (on top of the usual bloodlust, I'm sorry to say). Most of the time, they'd be smiling, laughing, holding cold drinks and combing wet hair that smelled of chlorine . . . to them, this was a vacation. They didn't even seem to mind that they weren't human. They didn't have a care in the world, whereas I had lost Owen, Maisie, and . . . well, pretty much _everything_.

Zia, in particular, was off-puttingly gleeful. There wasn't anything _wrong_ with that, I suppose, but she didn't seem to grasp the seriousness of my situation. When I admitted to her that I had murderous impulses, she replied with, "That's okay. Sometimes, I wanna kill you, too," and she laughed and laughed like it was some kind of joke. Franklin seemed more concerned about this revelation. I never thought he'd be afraid of _me_ , but then again, he's afraid of _everything_. Still, there's something deeply unsettling about seeing your own monstrosity reflected in the eyes of your friends. It was a reminder of how far I'd fallen, and for all I knew, this wasn't even rock bottom.

I looked forward to seeing my friends, perhaps even more so than when I first arrived on the island. It broke the monotony of my circumstance, of course, but more so than that, it gave me a break from my obnoxious neighbours. The metallic herbivore had been taken away a few days after his arrival, the crested dinosaur with the soft head still hadn't spoken up, and none of the other hybrids seemed to be interested in me. Well, except for one. Unfortunately, my worst roommate was also the most vocal, and we were constantly getting into shouting matches. Having abandoned all semblance of civility, he was relentless in his petty invectives, and I very quickly came to the conclusion that-

"Eli, you are the biggest butthole I've _ever_ met."

He snorted.

"Wow. Language. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? Or did you try to eat her, too? . . ."

I rolled my eyes and paced back and forth some more.

"Your comments aren't as biting as you think they are."

"Well, you _are_ the expert on biting," he retorted.

I groaned.

"You've been trying to break me with the same rein all morning. Is that really _all_ you have?"

"Well, attempted infanticide far outshines enabling the creation of a monster, in my opinion. What more do I _need_?"

I scoffed.

"'Attempted infanticide' . . . You're a real piece of work, you know that?"

"Tell me it isn't true, though . . ."

I wheeled around.

"You know what's _worse_ than attempted infanticide? Honest-to-god _murder_. _I_ have bad genes. What's _your_ excuse?"

"You can't prove anything."

"I know you did it. Moonwatcher told me so."

"Moonwatcher says a lot of things."

"Things that are _true_."

He burst out laughing, but it was obviously forced.

"Moonwatcher is a joke."

"She's trying to _help_ me."

"Honey, she feeds you fish-heads and scoops your litter box. You're less of a patient and more of an inconvenient _pet_."

"And what does that make _you_?"

"Someone who's getting out of here. Unlike you, _I'm_ not a dangerous psychopath."

"Don't call me that."

"Why not? It's true. But if you don't believe me, we could always ask your boyfriend . . ."

"Shut up, Eli."

"That's fair. I mean, even if we _wanted_ his opinion, we couldn't _get_ it, could we? Not unless he comes back. But I doubt he will. How long has it been since you last saw him? A week? Maybe more? He's probably forgotten all about you."

"You won't get to me, Eli."

"No, I suppose I won't. I don't have a way with words. You, on the other hand, can convince people to do whatever you want. Fly to a burning island, stow away on a boat, unlock your cage and set you free . . . No, I'm sure he'll be back. But it hurts my heart to think of how disappointed he'll be when he realizes that you really _are_ nothing short of a monster."

That was all it took for me to snap.

"I'll show _you_ a monster!"

I pounced forward and crammed my arm between the bars, clawing at him between furious barks. In the middle of my outburst, the lab doors opened, and Owen stepped inside with Moonwatcher not far behind him. Their timing could not have been worse. I slipped away from the cage wall sheepishly, ignoring Eli's triumphant smirk. Wrapping my tail around my legs, I gazed at Owen expectantly. He nodded ahead.

"Hurry up and let her out. It's past Maisie's bedtime."

( _Out_? Let me _OUT_?)

I was terrified and flattered all at once. Owen _trusted_ me. He thought I was ready to be set free. I wasn't so sure myself, but I was willing to try my hardest, just to prove that I was capable of-

But he walked straight past my cage and approached the orange-ey hybrid. I felt my heart sink as Moonwatcher flicked through her ring of keys.

"Well, Iris, today's your lucky day. Maisie's had an accident, and she needs your help."

My eyes went wide.

"Is she okay?!" I blurted out, grabbing the bars of my cage and pressing my snout between them.

Owen didn't look at me when he spoke.

"She came knocking on my door in the middle of the night, scared silly. She thought she was bleeding to death. I'm not equipped to handle this."

It sounded like an accusation. As though it was _my_ fault that I was locked up. I guess it _was_ , in a way.

"How is she? Does she need-"

"Iris will handle it," Owen interrupted coldly.

I was glad to be facing away from Eli, because I wouldn't have been able to resist slapping him across the face, assuming he was wearing that same shit-eating grin, which I'm sure he was. But there was still time to prove him wrong. Not just in the name of besting him, but also because . . . Well, Owen was _right_ about not being ready for this. He _shouldn't_ have to take care of Maisie on his own.

I puffed out my chest.

"Owen, I promise, I'm trying everything I can to get better, and as soon as I have this thing under control-"

"Iris will handle it," he repeated.

Moonwatcher led the orange-ey hybrid, whom I now recognized as Iris, out of her cage. She stepped down delicately, snout turned up with posh indignance.

"Well, it's about time. I _told_ you I didn't mean to bite that man."

"Yeah, alright. We'll show you to Maisie's room," Moonwatcher huffed.

I slithered up to Owen as he passed, but he refused to look at me. When Moonwatcher slowed to a stop beside my cage, I hardly noticed.

"Don't worry, honey. We'll be back. She asked for _you,_ specifically."

I turned away from Owen to gape at her, utterly stunned. She winked- or at least _tried_ to wink. She sort of scrunched up her face and closed both eyes at different times. I nodded, forcing a smile, and watched her leave. When the doors slammed shut, Eli gave a nasty chuckle.

"Well, how about that? Looks like you left more than one broken heart in your wake."

I wasn't angered by his remark, this time.

How _could_ I be, when I had reason to believe that I still had a chance to make things right?

***TSJWFKFEW***

I had a lot to think about that night. It took me a long while to fall asleep, and when I did, my slumber didn't last long. I awoke from troubled dreams to the sound of creaking. When I opened my eyes, I did not see bars in front of me. I lifted my head, quills stiffening. Slowly, the door to my cage moved back into my line of sight, gliding gently on its hinges. The cage was _open_.

I sat staring at the open door for a good long time before convincing myself that it was real, that I wasn't just dreaming it up. Fighting my initial impulse to make a break for it, I inched towards the exit with trepidation. Should I let someone know that my cage was unlocked? No. If I called someone over, they'd think I was setting another trap. Should I just wait until morning? No, I might not be able to resist the urge to maul whoever showed up to feed me.

Heart pounding, I stared ahead blankly. Slowly, without making a sound, I took a step toward the open doorway. I reached forward and took the door in my paws, pulling it back. For a split second, I reconsidered. But I promptly shook the thought from my head and shut myself in.

The bolt closed with a rather audible clunk, but my attention was drawn to a distant corner of the room, where something was making a rustling sound. When I turned to look, I caught sight of something- or some _one_ \- crawling between the cluttered tables. I wasn't the only prisoner to notice this strange occurence. The crested dinosaur lifted its head with confusion, letting out a bleat of recognition. It searched the darkness, but finding nothing, returned to its usual dull stare. I turned back to the tables, but couldn't locate the mysterious intruder. Perhaps they had gone away.

Deciding to go back to sleep, I marched in a circle and curled up with my tail to my snout. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Eli dozing peacefully, thin plumes of exhaust drifting down from his nostrils. For a brief moment, I was reminded of how I had come to trust him in the first place. He always presented himself as a charming ball of humble charisma, but that was of course a front to conceal his malicious nature.

Not that I had room to criticize.

Still, I was hopeful that there was a fundamental difference between him and me. Whereas Eli used the appearance of normalcy to conceal his monstrosity, my own monstrosity was forcefully overlaid on top of my true self, which was fundamentally good . . . I hoped. And I was optimistic that my close calls were just that: close calls. If given the opportunity to murder Owen, I wouldn't do it. I _hadn't_ done it. I was no murderer, and nothing could push me to that point.

Of course, this all went out the window when I replayed the incident in my mind, and remembered how much I _wanted_ it.

I cried myself to sleep.

Again.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Just as Moonwatcher promised, she returned with Owen the next day. I bolted upright, wagging my tail like a puppy, but Owen didn't seem too happy to be there.

"Hello, Claire."

"Hi . . ." I breathed.

"We're going to try something new today."

"Something new?" I echoed hopefully.

Owen nodded, still refusing to meet my gaze.

"Maisie wants to see you."

I beamed.

"Is she here?"

"No. She wants you to come out and visit _her_."

My smiled disappeared.

"Come out? . . ."

"Yes. We're going to find a way to let you out- _temporarily_."

Why did he have to say that so pointedly? . . .

"I- I'm not sure if that's a good idea," I stammered.

"Me neither, but Maisie insisted we try."

I shrunk back.

"I don't know if I'm ready."

Moonwatcher pushed Owen aside brashly.

"Luckily for you, Claire, we have the proper tools to make sure that you're prepared for another meltdown. I spent all night reading up on your tragic backstory, and I think I've found a way to stop you from mauling your adoptive clone-child right in the face."

Before I could comment on her insensitive phrasing, she pulled out a paperback book and began skimming the pages.

"Okay, it says here that you're worried about your parents' relationship falling apart."

I batted my eyes.

"What?"

She tapped the page.

"It's an emotional sore spot for you, so here's what we're gonna do: whenever you think of killing someone, just imagine what it'll do to your folks' marriage. Do you really want to be the _cause_ of their divorce, Claire?"

My jaw dropped.

"That's a _terrible_ thing to say! And what kind of book-"

She was already flipping to another page.

"Ah, here we go. Remember how you were so worried about the staff of Jurassic World putting down Pearl? Try to imagine her face on your potential victims."

"This is ludicrous," I muttered.

Moonwatcher shook her head, unimpressed.

"Alright, I didn't want to pull out the big guns, but here we go . . . Remember _Justin_ , Claire? Remember how _bad_ it felt to be responsible for his death?"

My eyes went wide.

"How the fuck did you-"

"Ah-ah-ah. PG-13, Claire."

Owen frowned.

"You've killed someone before, Claire?"

I gasped.

"No! No, I-"

"But you were responsible for his death?"

I shook my head rapidly.

"NO! I mean- I don't . . . I don't know . . ."

Moonwatcher clapped the book shut and did a little dance.

"It's working! It's working!"

I snarled.

"Whatever trick you're trying to pull, stop it _right now_! You have NO right to use my past against me like that! Where did you get that book? Who's _responsible_ for this?"

She shrugged.

"Tess Sharpe, I guess?"

I growled.

"Well, tell her she has no right to snoop. I don't want some creepy stalker following me around."

Moonwatcher snickered.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY?!" I barked.

"Nothing . . . nothing," she squeaked between snorts.

"Just tell that pervert woman to leave me alone, okay? I don't want people reading about my life!"

Moonwatcher's eyes darted back and forth.

"I promise, nobody's reading about you right now," she said quietly, lips pursed.

"You'd better _hope_ not."

Moonwatcher sighed.

"Well, I guess reminding her of her tragic past didn't help much."

"I think you mostly just pissed her off," Eli muttered from his cage.

I stomped my foot.

"Shut up, you!"

"Okay, okay!" Moonwatcher interjected, holding up her hands, "I think we need to try a less conventional approach."

She reached behind her back and pulled out a microscope. She placed it on a pizza paddle and slid it into my cage. I looked down at the microscope, then up at her.

". . . Is there . . . something you want me to _do_ with this?"

Moonwatcher raised her eyebrows.

"Maybe. Tell me, how does it make you _feel_?"

I looked down at it.

"It's a microscope. Am I supposed to _recognize_ it, or . . ."

She pulled it back through the bars.

"Okay, new plan. Owen, hold."

She dropped the microscope in his arms.

"Touch the microscope, Owen," she drawled.

He began patting it slowly, unsure of what she meant.

"No, like, stroke it or something," she instructed him.

Still confused, he ran his hand over the shaft like it was some weirdly-shaped cat. I stared at him, then turned to Moonwatcher.

"I don't get it."

Moonwatcher rolled her eyes and grabbed the device from Owen's hands.

"Wow, you're nothing like the _old_ Claire."

"Old Claire?" I prompted.

"Yeah, she was the Queen of the Universe. Big and green. Emotionally unstable. Recently got axed by her sister. Long story. Anyhoo, I think it's time to try our last resort."

She marched across the room and came back with a big, black briefcase. As she snapped the latches, she called over her shoulder.

"Owen, can you tranq her for me?"

He stepped backwards, blinking with surprise.

"Tranq? As in _tranquilize_?"

"No, as in felade. What else could 'tranq' mean? Jesus Christ. Get with the program."

He frowned.

"Are you really asking me to _shoot_ her?"

"With tiny syringes, yes. She takes three doses."

She shoved a gun into his arms, and our eyes locked. Owen looked surprisingly nervous.

"I can't do this."

"Sure, you can. Blam, blam, blam, and she's out cold. Piece of cake."

I gulped and forced myself to stop shaking.

"It's okay, Owen."

He looked down at the tranquilizer gun.

"Claire, I'm not going to shoot you."

I laughed nervously.

"Well, it's not like it's a _real_ gun, right? I mean, _I_ was able to use one . . . remember that?"

Moonwatcher laughed.

"That little guy probably died. Speaking of, make sure you don't use more than three darts, Owen, or this might turn into an Old Yeller-type situation."

His hands were shaking.

"Why can't YOU shoot her?"

"Because she's YOUR dog, numbnuts."

"HEY!"

Before Owen could confront her, I reached through the bars.

"Owen, wait! Just listen to her, okay? If this is what needs to be done, we have no other choice. Just do it, okay? . . . For Maisie."

I held his gaze for a long time. He nodded gently, then lifted the gun.

"I'm going to shoot you in the neck, okay?"

My neck tensed up involuntarily.

"Alright," I squeaked, "Just let me know when-"

 _PEW!_

I gasped. My first instinct was to reach up and pull out the needle, but I stopped myself.

"That's one," Owen announced as he reloaded.

I whimpered.

"Alright, just tell me when you're about to-"

 _PEW!_

"AH!"

"Anticipation makes it worse," he stated.

"I think I'm getting drowsy . . ." I gurgled.

"One more, Owen," Moonwatcher reminded him, "This mistake has been made before."

"Asshole," someone muttered from the cage behind me.

Owen lifted the gun for a third shot. I braced myself. When the needle-prick didn't come, I opened my eyes.

"Owen, are you-"

 _PEW!_

The third syringe hit its mark. I jolted, then blinked with surprise.

"I feel a little dizzy, but I don't think it's wor-rrr-rrr-"

I didn't get to finish my thought, because the ground flew up at me and slapped my face. After a bright flash, I found myself floating in gold fog with rainbows sparks. I paddled forward, smiling with contentment as soothing music carried me over a stream of sweet-smelling cactus juice.

 _I recall the time they found those fossilized mosquitoes, and before long, they were cloning DNA . . ._

I laughed merrily as I floated downstream on my back.

 _Now, I'm being chased by some irate velociraptors, and believe me, this has been one lousy day . . ._

"It has, it really has," I mumbled.

As the music continued to play, I noticed someone paddling beside me. Owen and Maisie were sailing in a rainbow canoe.

"Come on, Claire! We're on our way to Delaware!" Owen beamed.

I reached forward with a human hand. Owen's fingers grazed across mine. I smiled, but when we held each other's hands, I gasped with horror.

"What's wrong?" Owen asked through a stiff-looking brachiosaurus face.

"Owen, you're-"

I gazed at my hand, which had become a pitch-black paw. I yanked it away from Owen in panic.

"Claire, where are you going?" he asked.

The canoe drifted down a fork in the river, growing more and more distant.

"Owen, wait!"

The water rushing beneath me wasn't a babbling brook anymore. I had been carried into the rapids.

"Owen, help!" I screamed in panic.

He and Maisie watched me from their canoe, which was fading into the light. I reached out in desperation.

"Come back!"

They disappeared, leaving me in darkness. I struggled against the chaotic waves, which pulled me under with fangs of white foam. I struggled to come up for air, but found myself being sucked down with each attempt. Finally, when I broke through the surface, I noticed a volcano in the distance. The orange light warmed the cold, blue night of my world, but a flash from the titan's mouth made me turn away, shielding my face as the brightness scorched my figure. When I opened my eyes, I saw that not too far downstream, the water seemed to cut off in midair.

Waterfall.

I screamed, calling out for Owen and Maisie, but no help came. I tumbled over the cliff, falling towards a cluster of rocks with the same burning eyes as the ceratopsian skull.

"NO!"

As soon as I hit the horns, I jolted awake. Before I could process my nightmare, I was pushed down forcefully. Owen's hands were on my neck.

"Stop it. Don't try anything."

"Owen? . . ."

I felt something tighten across my windpipe. There was a sharp click.

"Done."

Owen stood, backing away from me. I kept still, panting with fear.

"You can get up now," Moonwatcher chirped.

I slid my paw across the ground, trying to stabilize myself. I noticed that my toes felt heavier than usual. I held up my paw and realized that my claws were tipped with hot pink plastic.

"These will prevent you from causing too much damage- both to your victims AND the hardwood floor, which we just installed in the hotel lobby a few days ago."

I turned my arm over. She had even glued pink nubs to my quills.

"We can't take any chances," she explained, "I'm sure you understand. Right, Claire?"

"Yeah . . ." I replied uncertainly.

As I ran my paw over the back of my frill with bewilderment, I felt a thick band constricting my neck. My quills bristled with unease.

"You won't be able to take it off: don't worry," Moonwatcher singsonged, "We still need to test it out, though. Owen will be in charge of the remote."

"Remote? . . ."

Moonwatcher passed a small device to Owen. It wasn't much more than a black box with a big, red button on it. I cocked my head.

"What's _that_ for?"

"For the collar," Owen said quietly.

Hearing the guilt in his voice, I understood. I made myself small.

"Oh, no . . ."

"Oh, yes!" Moonwatcher babbled confidently, "It seems as though you respond to electricity, so . . ."

'Respond to'? Well, that was _one_ way of putting it. But I wasn't too keen on the heart-stopping pain of being electrocuted, to put it mildly.

"I . . . I don't like this," I stammered.

"Tough tiddies. This is a necessary precaution. You don't want to lose control again, _do you_?" Moonwatcher stressed.

"No . . ." I admitted.

"Alrightee, then. Owen, zap her."

His eyes widened.

"Hang on, I know how it works. There's no need for-"

She held up her hand to silence him.

"Owen, until we're sure that you have the emotional strength to use the collar when things get nasty, Claire is not leaving this room. This is for your own safety . . . and Maisie's."

Owen was about to object, but I spoke up before he had the chance.

"Do it, Owen. If this is what it takes . . ."

He stared at me for a long while.

"Are you sure? . . ."

I thought about Maisie, how alone she must feel after going through all of this. I'd endure any pain in the world to keep her safe.

"Yes. I'm sure."

He nodded.

"Alright. Here we go."

When his finger landed on the button, I fell to my knees, crying out in pain. I had intended to keep my composure, but I just . . . couldn't. I screamed and thrashed around until I was released from the gut-wrenching torment. I lay gasping on my side.

"It works," Owen announced brokenly.

Moonwatcher nodded.

"Good. Do it again."

"What?! But I just-"

"Owen, this isn't about Claire: it's about _you_. We need to be sure that you won't hesitate when the moment arrives."

He took a deep breath.

"Alright."

He lowered his finger, but Moonwatcher pulled his hand away.

"Look her in the eye."

Owen met my gaze. I tried to be strong, but I was still lying on my shoulder, and my body felt like it was falling to pieces. I nodded at him, hoping he would be brave enough to do what needed to be done.

He was.

This time, the pain lasted longer. I thrashed around and felt tears pouring down my cheeks as I screamed. When the pain finally came to an end, I saw Moonwatcher holding down Owen's finger. He batted her away forcefully.

"What's _wrong_ with you? Are you some kind of _psychopath_?!"

"You might want to watch that kind of language around Claire," Eli chuckled from his cage.

I'll bet he was getting a kick out of watching me writhe around on the floor like that. But Moonwatcher sprung to my defense.

"Hey, Claire's not a psychopath," she asserted, "Neurotypicals commit the vast majority of violence, so if anything, Claire being a bloodthirsty monster means she's the exact _opposite_ of mentally ill."

Well. So much for words of comfort.

As Eli laughed to himself, Owen helped me to my feet. It was a relief to feel his touch again, even if the circumstances weren't ideal. He brushed the dust off my side and nodded towards the door.

"Come on."

Moonwatcher held up her hand.

"Wait. There's one more thing we need to do."

She reached into her backpack and pulled out a metal device.

"Close your mouth, please."

I did as I was told, and soon, a muzzle was strapped to my head. I felt my throat wobble.

"Are you okay?" Owen asked.

"I'm fine," I replied, fighting back tears.

***TSJWFKFEW***

I didn't realize how bright natural light could be until it smouldered my eyes, which had become accustomed to the darkness of the lab. I was forced to squint for the first few minutes of my conditional freedom as I was led across the island by Owen, who looked like a bright blob of colors. I thought I must be hallucinating all the strange bodies that surrounded us, but when the confused blur left my vision, I realized that this was no ordinary island. Fantastic creatures of all shapes and sizes walked among humans. Most of them had saurian traits, but there were a few elephants and other exotic animals. I gaped in amazement as a flock of raptor hatchlings wove between the feet of medium-sized herbivores, who laughed at their childish games. They didn't seem bothered by their presence in the slightest.

When we passed a pool area, a large aquatic creature with leathery wings and a long crest lifted her sunglasses and waved at me excitedly from her massive folding chair.

"Hello, Other Claire!"

I couldn't place her voice, but she sounded familiar.

"Do I _know_ her?" I asked Moonwatcher.

"Not _her_ in particular, but someone similar."

I didn't understand, but I was getting used to not knowing what the hell was going on.

We encountered more strange animals when we crossed a schoolyard. Dinosaurs of every time period and diet were playing together, just as though they were nothing more than a group of human students, rather than diverse creatures that lived millions of years apart, and who might have preyed upon each other if this wasn't the case. I batted my eyes, bewildered by this strange sight.

"Were all of these dinosaurs human once?"

Moonwatcher shook her head.

"We have natural-born dinosaurs here, but they're genetically similar to humans for . . . _reasons_. Just treat them like you would any other human. We have this racism-allegory thing going on, so maybe don't contribute to that negativity, okay?"

"Um, okay," I gulped.

Owen didn't seem too phased by this unusual society. He had already seen everything there was to see, I suppose, but he was also a tad . . . distracted. I wanted to start a conversation with him, but our recent interactions weren't exactly chit-chat material. I watched him as he marched forward with semi-distant eyes, trying to judge his mood.

"I'll bet Maisie is excited to see all these dinosaurs running around," I ventured.

"Like I said, she hasn't left her room," Owen replied icily.

Oh, right.

"Ah . . . Well, do you think she might want to explore the island with us?"

"Encountering carnivorous dinosaurs might be a traumatic experience after what happened in the mansion."

"EY! What did I JUST say about dinosaur-racism?" Moonwatcher snapped.

Ignoring her, Owen shook his head.

"We have to approach this situation carefully. It's a lot to take in."

I nodded.

"Poor Maisie."

"Yeah, poor Maisie," he echoed, somewhat sardonically.

I lifted my head, frowning at him with displeasure.

"You know, you don't have to _be_ like that."

"Like what?"

"You know: all cold and distant . . ."

"I'm not cold and distant."

"Well, you're kind of acting like a jerk."

He hummed, shrugging.

"I'm allowed to. You tore my leg in half."

I winced as he lifted his pant-leg. I had left a pretty nasty scar. It looked very, _very_ permanent.

"I'm sorry, Owen."

"I should _hope_ so."

"I am!" I asserted defensively, "And I'm trying to make things right. I'm sorry if I'm not getting better _fast enough_ for you, but I really don't have control over-"

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

"Alright. So stop hounding me when I'm trying my best."

"I'm not. I'm just concerned that you're maybe not in the best shape right now."

"Well, I'm managing, but-"

"It may be a mistake to let Maisie see you."

I froze.

"Oh . . . So that's how it is, huh?"

He turned around, arms crossed.

"Don't you try to make me feel guilty for protecting her."

"' _Protecting'_ her? It seems to me like you're struggling to _parent_ her."

"Yeah, because you left me alone!" he barked.

I frowned, tensing up.

"This wasn't _my_ fault, Owen."

"Can I make an observation?" Moonwatcher piped up.

"NO!" Owen and I shouted at once.

"Observation withdrawn," she muttered.

Owen turned back to me.

"So, we're back to _this_ , huh?"

"Back to _what_?"

"Back to blaming me for all of life's problems."

I scoffed.

"Owen, I meant that it's _nobody's_ fau-"

"Oh, I _know_ what you meant. All I did was make _one_ mistake, Claire. If _you_ had been driving, things wouldn't have turned out _any_ differently."

"What the hell are you _talking_ ab-"

"Look, we both know what you _really_ think of me, but I refuse to feel guilty. What's done is done, and I _couldn't_ have prevented it, as much as I wanted to. It wasn't my fault."

And then I understood. Nothing I'd said up until that point had given him the impression that I blamed him for the car accident. He spoke as though this had been an established attitude for quite some time, and since it didn't come from _me_ . . .

I felt bad for Owen, but part of me was relieved that this wasn't all on me. He must feel responsible for what happened, which meant that every hurtful thing he'd said until now was partly fuelled by his own guilt. It didn't make what he'd said right, of course, but it gave me hope that he still cared about me. He just had a different, somewhat _harmful_ way of showing it.

"Owen, I don't blame you for what happened."

He didn't reply.

"I don't," I repeated.

"We're almost there," he said.

"Okay."

I considered reaching for his hand, but realizing that it might be a bad move, I stopped myself.

He was still holding the shock-button, after all.

***TSJWFKFEW***

I smelled Maisie from all the way down the hall. Owen was surprised when I stopped in front of her door, but I didn't feel like explaining how I knew where she was located. He probably could have guessed on his own, anyway. He pulled a swipe-card out of his front pocket and opened the door. As I stepped through, I noticed that his thumb was hovering over the remote. I was slightly hurt, until I reminded myself that he was only looking out for Maisie.

She was sitting on the bed, wearing foam claws and a tail, just like Owen told me. She looked up when I entered the room, and I tried to smile at her, though the muzzle made it difficult. She looked down again.

"Hi, Maisie . . ."

She didn't make a sound. I turned to Owen for guidance, but his face was stoic. I took a deep breath.

"How've you been?"

No answer. I sat down beside her, not on the bed, seeing how I was too tall and probably too heavy for it. I noticed movement in the corner of my eye. Owen was gesturing for me to move away from her. I scooted back on the carpet.

"This is quite a nice place, you got here . . ."

It _was_ a rather fancy room, but the chic décor was broken by tacky children's toys, probably bought from a giftshop somewhere. I picked up a velociraptor plush that was lying on her pillow. Turning it over in my paws, I raised my eyebrows.

"Is this _Blue_?"

She nodded.

"Wow, where did you _get_ it?"

"The lobby," Owen answered, "They have lots of toys downstairs."

"Ah," I said, still hopelessly awkward, "Did you see some cool stuff in there?"

After a pause, Maisie nodded. That was _something_ , at least.

"Great . . . Did you want to go down there?"

She shook her head. I winced.

"Okay. Is there anything _else_ you want to do?"

She shrugged. She hadn't looked at me once since I sat down. After a long silence, I took a deep breath.

"Owen said you wanted to see me. Is there something you want to say? . . . Something you want _me_ to say? . . ."

She continued to stare at the floor.

"Maisie, if you've changed your mind, that's perfectly fine. You don't have to-"

As I straightened up, she quickly reached out and put her hand on my paw, slipping out of her own foam claws. I looked down with surprise. I turned to Owen, who was bracing his hand over the button in warning. I remained still, but Maisie leaned on my shoulder, shaking a little. I felt water crossing my scales.

"Hey . . . Hey, don't cry, Maisie. Everything's going to be okay. I'm trying to get better. We'll be together soon, okay?"

I hoped I wasn't lying. Maisie sobbed and wrapped her arms around my neck, burying her face in the gold stripe that ran down my side.

"It's okay, baby. It's okay . . ."

I risked placing my paw around her shoulder. Owen glared at me, but I ignored him.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm doing okay. You just be a good girl, alright?"

There was no comfortable way to lean my snout against her with the muzzle strapped around my head, but I was pretty sure that she didn't want to be near my teeth anyway. She continued to hold me, fingers making wrinkles on my scales. I let her cry, and soon found myself crying as well. I tried to hold it back, but to no avail. I started crying even more when I realized that I was beginning to think about how easy it would be to catch Owen off guard. Even with the controller in his hand, he wouldn't be fast enough if I decided to tighten my grip around Maisie. Those pink nubs on my fingers could only dull my claws so much, but-

I pulled away from Maisie, catching myself just in time. Owen's finger twitched, but he did not shock me. I wondered if he could see the guilt in my eyes . . . if he knew that I had almost lost myself.

"Claire . . ." Maisie choked.

"I think it's time to go," Owen said brusquely, stepping away from the wall he was leaning against.

Maisie reached for me, but I shrunk back.

"Maisie, I have to go back to my cage now, but I promise I'll come back for a visit, okay?"

She coughed, eyes red and dripping.

"Okay . . ." she squeaked.

I forced a smile.

"You be good while I'm gone, okay? You and Owen are gonna have so much fun. I'm so _jealous_."

Maisie didn't seem convinced by my remark. I don't blame her. _I_ wasn't even convinced, myself. She stood up and gave me a hug.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Maisie," I choked, tears starting anew.

Owen clicked his tongue.

"Hey. We gotta go."

I gulped, slipping away from Maisie. Her lip quivered as she watched me leave.

"Bye."

"Bye," I whispered.

When Owen had shut the door behind me, I let my tears flow freely. He looked down at me, unsure of how to handle my emotional outburst. Luckily for him, he didn't have to. Moonwatcher, who had apparently been in the middle of an intense phone call, hung up and shoved the device in her back pocket.

"Hey, guys! Everything is fine, but I need to slip away for a second. Like, pronto. Right now. But everything is fine, so don't worry."

Owen frowned.

"Are you sure that-"

"EVERYTHING IS FINE," she interrupted, "PERFECTLY FINE. I JUST HAVE BUSINESS WITH DINOSAURS. FROM YOUR WORLD. EVERYTHING IS FINE."

"But-"

"It's fine. It's _fine_. This is fine. Everything's fine. I'm fine. This is fine . . . Gotta run!"

She bolted down the hall, leaving me and Owen alone together. He turned to me with a puzzled frown.

"Something tells me everything is NOT fine, but I guess it's none of our business."

"No, I guess not."

We made our way down the hall. I tried to keep my tail from swinging, since it sometimes scraped the walls, setting my body off-kilter. Owen marched ahead of me, seemingly eager to get me back in my cage.

"Maisie seems to like her new room. I see she's filled it with dinosaurs."

" _I_ filled it with dinosaurs, at her request."

"She's been sending you down to the gift shop, then?"

"Every day."

"Do you think you're maybe spoiling her a little?"

He snuffed.

"First of all, she grew up in a mansion. Second, this seems important to her."

"How do you figure? Most of the toys don't even look played-with."

"Well, she always asks me to buy carnivores, for one thing."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"I hear her talking to them with growls and roars."

"Uh . . ."

"And then the next day, I find the most recent dinosaur lying on the ground, and she asks for a new one."

"O-kay, that _is_ a little weird, but maybe you shouldn't be feeding her bad habits? . . ."

"Well, if you're so smart, why don't _you_ try parenting her?"

I glowered at him.

"That's a low-blow, Owen. We both know that right now, Maisie's fate is up to _you_."

"And Iris."

"Fine, and Iris, but something tells me it's not the nanny who's letting Maisie throw her laundry all over the place. Is there a backstory for that, too?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. I asked her to clean it up, and she said that she didn't have to, because she was, quote, 'living in the wild.'"

"Sounds like she might need some help."

"Not from _you_ , I hope."

"From a therapist, but just out of curiosity, what makes you think that I'm not equipped to help her?"

"Aside from-"

"Yes, aside from the dinosaur thing."

He exhaled.

"I don't think you're setting a good example."

"Why? Because of something I can't control?"

"It's probably not a good idea to let her see you when you're this broken."

" _Broken_? Excuse me, but-"

"Where did those cuts come from, Claire?"

I froze. We had made it to the lobby, but the high ceiling wasn't the only reason his remark seemed to echo.

"Wh-what are you-"

"On your arm. Where did those cuts come from?"

I withdrew my paw under the shadow of my belly.

"I . . . I was thinking thoughts . . . _bad_ thoughts . . . and I didn't want to let myself get away with it, so . . . every time I thought about hurting you, I hurt myself, instead . . . so that I would stop."

I was hoping he'd open up and show some compassion, but his eyes darted down to my arm, then up again, and he said-

"You must have thought about hurting us a lot."

Tears stung my eyes.

"Please, Owen, I'm trying my best to get better. It was a bad idea, I know, but I thought if I could punish myself, it would help. I didn't want to get away with having those thoughts, so I tried to teach myself some restraint. I know it was foolish, but my intention was to prevent myself from turning into some kind of monster."

"You already have."

That comment stung, but he wasn't even _close_ to finished.

"Claire, if Maisie sees you like this . . . Look, it's just not _healthy_ , alright? You've visited her once, and it was difficult enough as it is, but I think we need to face the facts: we can't allow her to get comfortable with what you've become. This isn't _normal_. We can't just ignore how much things have changed. Maybe you'll get better. Fine. We'll see what happens then. But for now, I don't think we can carry on like this."

"Owen, she _needs_ me."

"She needs _Claire_. I want my Claire back too, but-"

"I'm right here, Owen!" I shouted through tears, "I haven't _gone_ anywhere!"

"This isn't the Claire I know."

I sniffed.

"So, you just don't love me anymore, is that what you're saying?"

"Not like this, no."

I hiccoughed, feeling my heart shatter inside of me.

"You asshole . . . You asshole . . ."

"Claire, I'm just stating the facts. Right now, you're not fit to take care of a child-"

"Yeah, well I'm a dinosaur, so what's _your_ excuse?!" I barked.

Owen stood his ground.

"You left me to do this on my own."

"I didn't _leave_ you, Owen! I'm standing right here, right now, offering you help that you _choose_ to ignore-"

"'Choose'? I'm not ' _choosing_ ' anything, Claire. You've left me with no options! What am I supposed to do, just let Maisie live in the company of a vicious predator?"

"I'm not a vicious predator!" I screamed.

"Yes, you are, Claire. It's hardwired into your DNA. You can't deny it. It's part of your nature. You're a monster, just like everything else they cooked up in that lab!"

It was then that Owen and I noticed two things. First, we were not alone. Maisie was hiding behind a large pillar, eavesdropping on our conversation. This became obvious when she ran out from behind it, sobbing as she fled into the sunset. Which brings me to the second realization. Owen's remark, while directed at me, had implied something else, and had thus caused far more damage than he intended. For a moment, we stood petrified. Then, Owen snapped out of his horrified stupor.

"FUCK!"

My heart was pounding.

"Owen, we have to find her!"

We sprinted out of the hotel, scanning the landscape for any sign of Maisie.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" I wept.

"You can pick up her scent, can't you?" Owen asked brusquely.

"I- I don't know if-"

"Try."

"Okay, okay!" I quavered.

I lowered my head to the ground, sniffing it pointedly. The first few breaths earned me a nose full of dirt, but as I adjusted my angle, I picked up a trail of linen-smell.

"I've got it."

"Lead the way."

I bounded forward, sniffing the air desperately. I was probably too frantic to be efficient, but Maisie hadn't been gone long, so I was able to track her without much difficulty. I made my way into the jungle, keeping an eye out for footprints. As her scent grew stronger, I had to remind myself that I was not hunting to kill. My violent thoughts were flaring up again, but this time, they were numbed by fear.

Eventually, I found Maisie sitting in the middle of a clearing, curled up in a ball, crying into her knees. I let out a gentle churr. Maisie gasped and turned to face me. When Owen bounded up to my side, she whimpered and stood up to run away.

"Maisie, wait!" I called.

She slowed to a stop, facing away from me. I let Owen step forward.

"Maisie, I didn't mean what I said. Not in the way you think."

"You said I was a monster . . ."

"No, I said _Claire_ was a monster."

I shot him a look.

"-but I didn't mean _that_ either. Not really. I was just frustrated and angry and . . . Look, I didn't _mean_ it. That's all I'm saying."

Maisie sniffled, wiping her nose on the back of her sleeve.

"He's telling the truth," I offered, "Owen loves you very much. He's just worried about your safety. I know it seems like he's mad, but it's only because he loves you so much . . ."

She turned around.

"He said that he doesn't love you."

I took a deep breath.

"People say a lot of things. But regardless of how he feels about me, that doesn't change the fact that he loves _you_."

"Why won't he let you visit me?"

I closed my eyes.

"Maisie, I'm not . . . _well_ right now. I'm trying to get better, but I'm still not . . . I'm not _myself_ right now."

Suddenly, she leapt forward and threw her arms around my neck.

"Yes, you are. You're the same as you always were. You just _look_ different, that's all."

I gulped.

"Maisie, that's not _entirely_ true. Owen's right to be worried. And maybe he shows it a little too much, but he's just trying to protect you."

"From what?"

I let her go.

"From _me_ , Maisie. You remember what . . . what almost happened . . . what I almost _did_."

"But you _didn't_ do it, Claire."

My beak quivered.

"No, Maisie, but I came close. And I didn't _mean_ to, believe me, but Owen is right: there's a part of me that's born and bred to be a killer, and we have to make sure that I get it under control before we do anything too risky."

She shook her head.

"I don't believe you're a killer."

I smiled.

"Let's hope not. But until we're absolutely certain, we have to be careful, okay?"

She turned to Owen.

"You can train her, right?"

His eyes darted to the side.

"Uh . . ."

"You can train her like you trained Blue. Claire wants to get better, so if you teach her how to be like Blue, she'll have empathy, right?"

Owen blinked.

"Maisie, that's not exactly-"

"Please, Owen. Please train her like you trained the raptors."

Owen met my gaze. I offered a sheepish shrug, and he knelt down in front of Maisie.

"Okay. I promise to . . . _train_ Claire."

Maisie laughed and wrapped him in a tight hug. He looked up at me, and I smiled warmly in response. He stood up with Maisie in his arms and turned back toward the hotel.

"It's late. We should head back. It's getting close to your bedtime."

She pouted.

"I'm too old for bedtimes."

I chuckled.

"Do as Owen says, Maisie. He's offered to help me, and he can't do that unless you both get some rest."

She smiled as Owen draped her over his shoulder.

"Okay, Claire."

"Atta girl. Now, what do you say we walk you back?"

We retraced our steps, heading towards the light of the hotel. Along the way, I encountered the scent-trails we had left behind. I sniffed them for practice. I could smell Maisie, Owen, and even myself, a little. Owen's smell was particularly nice, I decided, and I inhaled it as it wafted towards me. But as I breathed in, a fourth smell entered my nostrils. I slowed to a stop, sniffing the air with puzzlement. Noticing that I had fallen behind, Owen turned around with a concerned expression.

"Claire, are you okay?"

I crinkled my snout.

"I smell something new . . . it's almost like _me_ , but-"

 _Snap_.

My quills bristled. As I turned to locate the source of the noise, there was a flash of gold and black.

 _SCREEEEEEEEE!_

A massive figure pounced on Owen. Without missing a beat, he threw Maisie to the side, then shouted as a gargantuan foot pinned him to the ground. I was shocked to discover that his attacker was a dinosaur like me, with plates and horns and curved claws. But this animal glistened with golden scales, at least where the body wasn't ebony. As it leaned in to complete its kill, I let out a low growl. It whipped around to face me, beak turning upwards in a fierce snarl. I flexed my claws. The animal barked. I sprung upon it.

In a split second, my claws were digging into the dinosaur's thick hide. The protective nubs fell away, leaving nothing between my talons and its flesh. It spun around as I clung to its back, but my claws were already in too deep to allow me to be bucked off. I slammed my tail into the beast's side, leaving two deep perforations. It screeched and rolled over, taking me with it. In the flurry of claws and horns that followed, it somehow managed to pin me down. It grabbed my skull between its jaws, but instead of piercing through to my brain, its teeth slipped. There was a snap, and the metal surrounding my beak fell away. The muzzle was off. I was free.

A surge of adrenaline coursed through my veins. I realized that I had finally found a way to satisfy my violent urges without suffering the consequences. Slaughtering a predator in the name of protecting my loved ones was no violent act- it was _bravery_. I could kill and maim and injure freely. This thought filled me with joy.

The next few moments were sheer bliss. I tore into the creature whenever the opportunity presented itself, basking in the dazzling glow that came with each spray of blood. I dragged my claws over his scales, finally piercing the tough hide. And I kept digging. I had half-eviscerated my opponent by the time he began to give up his fighting spirit, dizzy from losing so much blood. I clamped my teeth around his neck again and again, chomping him like an old bone. His movements slowed until he was completely still, but I kept going. After a while, the duel lost its appeal, seeing how my opponent was long-dead. To make the kill official, I twisted his head to the side before stepping down from the carcass. I panted, jaws dripping with blood and saliva, and looked up as the thrill faded away. Owen and Maisie were staring at me with horror. It was then that I realized what I had done. I gazed at the mangled carcass lying in front of me, eyes widening with terror. I looked up at Owen, who was shaking like a leaf.

"Owen, I-"

As I took a step forward, his hand whipped down to the remote in his pocket. I flinched, then let out a faint whimper. I backed away and darted into the trees before he had a chance to shock me.

I'm not sure how long I ran, but I must have covered a large distance, considering how fast I was moving. My tears shot horizontally across my face, carried by the wind. Branches struck my snout, but I barely noticed. I plowed through the dark jungle without knowing where I would end up.

I finally lost my will to continue, and collapsed in the dense foliage, sobbing heavily. I lay among the twigs and ferns, waiting for the end to come. I was now a fugitive, I realized, and it wouldn't be long before they captured me. And _then_ what?

I trembled with fear, running over all the possibilities in my head. If they didn't shoot me on sight, they'd surely put me down once I was detained. I had just proven that I was, without a doubt, an absolute _monster_ , and there was no going back now.

The horrified look on Owen's face flashed in my mind's eye. I'd never seen him so afraid, and we'd been through _a lot_ together. And then there was Maisie . . .

I let out a miserable wail and curled into a ball, covering my eyes with massive paws. I shook uncontrollably, sobbing so loudly that I was surprised no one had found me yet, though I was certain someone was on the way. I felt myself sinking into emptiness, until there was nothing but fear and pain . . . and sorrow. This was the end. Rock bottom. I had blown my last chance at redemption. Owen was right about me. I really _was_ a monster.

A hand on my shoulder snapped me out of my trance. I gasped with surprise, eyes shooting open. Maisie was sitting beside me, arm extended. My throat wobbled.

"Maisie . . ."

She stroked my neck calmly.

"Shhh . . . Shhh . . ."

"Maisie, what are you _doing_ here? Where's Owen?"

"I don't know. I ran away."

" _What_?! Maisie, you shouldn't _be_ here. Hurry up and get away before something _bad_ happens!"

"But you're hurt."

"I'm fine."

She touched my chest.

"Hurt in here."

I sighed.

"Maisie, please . . . I don't want to hurt you."

"I know."

"So get away from me."

"You're not dangerous."

"Yes, I am. Didn't you see-"

"You're afraid."

" _You_ should be the one who's afraid, Maisie!"

She reached out and unfastened my collar. I watched as it landed in the dirt, mouth agape.

"Maisie, what on _Earth_ -"

"I don't want them to hurt you."

"Maisie-"

"They've already hurt you so much. You don't belong in a cage, Claire."

I shut my eyes.

"Maisie, you have NO idea-"

I gagged as she hugged my neck.

"No more collars. No more muzzles. You belong with me and Owen."

"No, I don't! Why-"

"Because you're a part of this family too."

I sighed, letting my head drop to the ground.

"Not anymore. You _saw_ what happened. You saw what I _did_ . . ."

"You were just trying to protect us."

"Well, I went a bit overboard, wouldn't you say?" I grumbled.

"You just wanted to do what was right. Like Owen."

I groaned, rubbing my snout impatiently.

"Maisie, Owen didn't KILL anyone."

"But he _would_ have, if he had to."

"Killing is _never_ a defensible solution."

Maisie looked down.

"You saved us."

I shook my head.

"Maybe, but it cost me everything."

The silence was broken by the wail of distant sirens. I lifted my head in alarm.

"They're coming for me. Maisie, get out of here. Now."

"Not without you!"

"Maisie, I'm in a lot of trouble right now, and I-"

She squeezed my neck.

"I won't let them hurt you!"

I pushed her away.

"I'll be fine! Just go!"

I grabbed the shock collar and tried to tie it around my neck. Maisie yanked it from my paws.

"Give that back!" I shouted, quills bristling.

Before she could reply, there was a loud zap, and she fell to the ground. My eyes went wide.

"MAISIE!"

I rolled her over with my snout, heart racing. She was unresponsive.

"No, no, no, no, no!"

I noticed someone standing in the bushes. Owen dropped the controller and covered his mouth.

"Oh my god . . ."

I wept furiously, still trying to resuscitate Maisie. Owen joined me. He was as white as a sheet.

"I thought you were going to- I mean-"

"We need to get her to a hospital. Quick!"

Owen lifted Maisie in his arms. I leaned forward.

"Get on my back."

"But-"

"For Christ's sake, just _do it_ , Owen! We have to _save_ her!"

He hoisted himself onto my back. I gripped him with two plates and dashed through the jungle.

"Which way?" I called over my shoulder.

"Left- I mean, right! Go right!"

I turned on a dime, shifting my plates to keep Owen from falling off. I charged forward with desperation, crossing a vast field after I burst out of the jungle.

"Where now?!"

"Straight ahead!" Owen called out, "Just keep g- STOP, STOP, STOP!"

I skidded to a halt, and not a moment too soon. We were at the edge of a deep canyon. A thin river trickled miles below my front paws. I turned to face Owen.

"Where are we going?"

He started hyperventilating.

"I don't know, I don't know . . ."

He fell forward, sobbing frantically.

"I've killed her . . ."

I nudged him with my beak.

"No, you haven't, Owen. There's still hope. Just hang on, and I'll try to pick up someone's scent."

I lifted my head, inhaling deeply.

"I smell . . . gasoline! There's a vehicle nearby! We must be close to civilization!"

 _VROOM, VROOM!_

My heart dropped. I recognized that sound. It was no ordinary car . . .

"Oh, balls . . ."

A massive head rose from the tall grass, followed by a rugged body that sped forward on a pair of foul-smelling rubber wheels.

"Hello again . . ."

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Eli, we need your help. Please, tell us where we're going. Maisie needs a doctor."

"Two things. One, why should I help you, after all the trouble you caused me? Two- and an extension of point one . . ."

He smiled deviously.

"You're not going anywhere."

Owen slid down from my back, still cradling an unconscious Maisie.

"Eli, please. She's hurt. Badly."

"Had a bit of fun, did you, Claire?"

Owen glared at him.

" _I_ did this. I made a mistake, and now I have to fix it. Help us, for the love of god!"

Eli smirked.

"Actually, _you're_ going to be helping _me_. See, while you two were squabbling about your tumultuous- and probably unhealthy- relationship, _I_ was planning my escape. Once I kill the dangerous predator, Claire Dearing, _I'll_ be a _hero_. You're going to help me wipe the slate clean, you lucky ducks.

Owen gnashed his teeth.

"I won't let you get away with lying about Claire."

Eli snorted.

"Well, you'll be dead, obviously. You AND the girl."

Owen backed away slowly.

"You wouldn't murder us . . ."

Slowly, an ominous grin spread across Eli's foul maw.

"No, I wouldn't. But I know someone who _will_."

He lifted his tiny arms and pulled a gun from behind his back. My blood turned to ice. I wheeled around to make my escape, but it was too late. A bright red beam cut through the night, landing square on Owen's chest. My eyes narrowed. I crouched down, ready for the next command.

"Goodbye, Mr. Grady," Eli jeered.

His fingers tightened around the gun. As soon as I heard the pulse, I sprinted forward, with no hesitation whatsoever. My legs extended, and I flew through the air. Before I could pounce on Owen, however, he leapt to the side. I hit the ground and rolled over the cliff, still trying to make a grab for the set quarry. My claws found the ledge, but the dirt crumbled between my fingers, and I fell backwards into the abyss. As I gazed up at the sky, I saw Owen leaning over the edge of the canyon, hand extended.

"CLAIRE!"

I reached for him too, but he was shrinking fast. I fell through a passing cloud, losing sight of him.

As I fell to my impending doom, I wasn't afraid, or even that upset. Instead, I was overcome with unexpected joy. Owen had tried to save me, even after I attacked him without hesitation. I had completely lost myself to my monstrous side, but still, he wouldn't let me go.

He loved me. Even though I was a monster, he loved me.

Tears of gratitude rose from my eyes as I fell. Everything we'd shared was real. I knew it for certain now. We were meant to be together . . . only now we _wouldn't_ be.

As the canyon floor approached me, I chose to spend my last moments remembering the love we shared. I was taken in by the memory of our last kiss, back in the mansion. I had already been poisoned by the monster's DNA by that point, but our kiss transcended the sickness that would eventually take my life. I could almost feel his lips on mine. I smiled. I didn't notice that my plates had begun to flutter, or that my arms-

I shot upwards. I was suddenly higher than before, and I was spiralling out of control.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

As I screamed, the night was illuminated with three-dimensional shapes, which dazzled my senses and threw me off balance. I flapped my arms instinctively, continuing my clumsy flight. I was flabbergasted, and to be perfectly honest, on the verge of shitting myself, but I caught a glimpse of Eli advancing towards Owen and Maisie, and I snapped to attention. I made a sharp dive, letting loose a battle cry that further enhanced my newfound senses. In retrospect, the look on Eli's face was worthy of a gilded frame.

"WHAT THE-"

I pecked him between the eyes, and he fell over dizzily, knocked out and very likely to develop a massive goose egg. My landing was even less graceful than his. I tumbled across the grass, wings (yes, wings!) flailing this way and that as I struggled to right myself. When I finally rolled onto my back, I heard frantic footsteps in the grass. Owen flung himself upon me, pressing his tear-soaked beard into my neck.

"Claire, oh, Claire! . . ."

I lifted my head as Maisie limped over.

"We need to get you home . . ."

"I'm okay," she said quietly, "It wasn't that bad."

Owen wept into my neck.

"You died, you died, you died . . ."

"I didn't die."

"Mph."

He continued to squeeze me.

"Don't ever do that again, okay? . . ." he quavered.

I blinked.

"I mean, I wasn't planning on it . . ."

More footsteps. I recognized Moonwatcher's voice.

"Two questions. What the fuck happened, and why do you look like a fucking bat?"

I lifted my arms. My claws had extended into the frame of what appeared to be leathery wings. I ran them over my face and found large ears perched on my head, plus a pair of fangs poking out of my beak. I was also slightly fluffy in places. I was done being surprised, though, considering everything else that had transpired that night.

"This doesn't make any sense!" Moonwatcher spat, "I mean, the other Claire was a vampire briefly, but you don't have her DNA . . ."

"Maybe the Indoraptor was part bat?" Owen suggested.

Moonwatcher rubbed her chin.

"For echolocation, maybe . . . But that _also_ doesn't make any sense. This is _silly_. Silly doesn't _belong_ in the actual _canon_. This _shouldn't_ _happen_."

I looked down at my body.

"What part of this are you referring to, exactly? . . ."

Moonwatcher rubbed the space between her eyes.

"You know what? Forget it. We'll figure this out later . . . On a somewhat less confusing note, look what _I_ found!"

She held up a small device.

"An iPad mini?" I asked, cocking my head.

"Yes, an _iPad mini_ ," she replied sharply.

I batted my eyes.

"Well, good for you, I guess? . . ."

She frowned.

"You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"

"Um-"

"With this iPad mini, I can get back to regular narration. No longer will we be tethered to your point of view!"

I stared at her blankly. She huffed.

"Let's just go home."

I smiled at Owen.

"Sounds good to me."

***TSJWFKFEW***

 _That night, returning to her cage did not feel like a betrayal of trust. Claire was relieved to be safe behind bars, despite Maisie's insistence that she ought to be released. She offered to secretly unlock Claire's cage again, but she firmly declined. She wasn't ready to roam free, she explained, though she promised to visit whenever she could._

 _"And you can even watch us train together," Owen added, catching Claire off guard._

 _Moonwatcher bolted the door shut, and Claire curled her tail around her legs, content at last. She had lost her batty features, but it was good to know that she had unusual superpowers lying in the wait, just in case things got out of hand again._

 _The others turned to leave, but just as he was about to step through the doorway, Owen changed his mind. He spun around and jogged up to Claire, who lowered her head attentively, wondering what he was about to tell her. To her surprise, he reached through the bars and touched her cheek, kissing her gently on the snout. He smiled as he pulled away, running his hand down her neck, shoulder, and arm. Their hands slid apart, and Claire felt as though she was choking on a tennis ball, but in a good way. Owen waved over his shoulder._

 _"See you tomorrow!"_

 _Claire beamed with wonderment._

 _"See you . . ."_

 _When he was gone, Claire smiled with nostalgia. In the neighbouring cage, Eli snuffed._

 _"There must be something terribly wrong with that man, kissing a dinosaur like that . . ."_

 _Claire didn't even hear him. She was too busy rolling around on her back, giggling uncontrollably._


	4. Gunnar's Secret Thistle Patch

_WEEEEEEEEE! WEE-WEE-WEE!_

The piglet squealed in panic as I tore after it. Its pink rump bounced up and down rapidly, but the poor creature wasn't moving fast enough. I got close enough that I could have counted the hairs on its tail, though that was obviously not my plan. I opened my jaws, and-

"Claire! Hold!"

Owen.

I skidded to a halt. Well, a _partial_ halt. I was still shuffling my paws and twitching with anticipation.

"That's good, that's _damn_ good," he called out, "Now, do you think you can keep still?"

My feet danced on the dirt like it was hot coals.

"I'm trying, I'm tr-"

The piglet darted in front of me. I snapped my jaws.

"HEY!"

I tensed up, feeling my quills bristle, and forced my snout to point upwards, shutting my eyes tight. I shivered as I tried to block out the world around me. My senses were on fire, thanks to the adrenaline pumping through my veins.

"You, uh . . . You trying to hold up the sky?"

"No . . . Just staying still," I chirped.

"You look uncomfortable."

"I'm fine," I breathed through clenched teeth.

"Alright, well, can you open your eyes?"

I heard the piglet skittering around me. I wasn't sure if I could resist lashing out once I saw how close it was.

"Um . . . _maybe_?"

"Eyes on me."

That was a command. Like it or not, I had to try. My eyes shuddered open, twitching like a broken animatronic. I saw Owen standing on the catwalk above me, bathed in sunlight. His arm was up and out, so I focused on his hand. Gradually, I was able to stop myself from twitching.

"There we go. You feeling alright?"

"I'm fine. Just a little-"

I whipped my head around as the piglet darted past.

"HEY!"

"-distracted. I'm just a little distracted," I finished.

"Eyes on me."

I turned back to him.

"Good . . ."

 _Click-click-click._

Maybe it was a _bit_ redundant to offer words of encouragement _and_ use the clicker, but the reptile-minded part of me responded to the clear affirmation. Plus, the noise gave me spatial awareness, thanks to my echolocation and whatnot. Most of all, though, I was just glad that I was doing something right.

"I'm gonna count to five. I want you to hold that stance, okay?"

"Okay," I squeaked, ignoring the hoofbeats behind me.

"You ready?"

"Yes. Hurry."

He shook his head.

"We're not in a rush. Five seconds. You can do it. Okay?"

"Okay."

"One . . . Two . . . Three . . . Four . . . _Four and a half_ . . ."

Oh, for Christ's sake!

"Four and three qu- Hey, don't give me that look! . . . Four point nine nine . . . and . . . FIVE!"

I let out a gusty breath, allowing my muscles to go limp. This moment of release was cut short by a sudden oink, which made me tense up, quills bristling once more.

"Watch it . . ." Owen warned me.

"I'm okay . . . I'm fine . . ." I drawled.

"Glad to hear it. Do you think you can face the pig?"

"Um . . ."

"Try."

I turned around slowly. The animal was digging its snout into the dirt, seemingly unaware that I was still a threat. I took a step forward.

"Claire!"

I winced.

"Sorry . . ."

"Don't apologize. Just do better."

I didn't answer. My eyes were fixed on the piglet, but I had somehow found the willpower to stand still.

"Atta girl. You ready for the gun?"

I was _never_ ready for the gun. Regardless, Owen unclipped the weapon from his belt. When he turned it on, my gaze followed the red dot that crossed the wall. It made a squiggly motion.

"You gonna chase it, or what?"

"Not funny," I muttered under my breath.

The dot continued its journey until it landed on the piglet. Suddenly, I couldn't look away.

"Claire?"

"Mm-hm?" I squeaked.

"You're staring at the piglet."

"Am I?" I wheezed, eyes fixed forward.

"You are. Do you think you can stop that?"

I gulped.

"Y-yes? . . ."

My neck creaked to the side. Despite this, my eyes stayed pinned to my target for as long as possible, but I eventually forced them away. It took me a few seconds to get the animal out of my line of sight. I whimpered.

"That's great, Claire! Keep it up!"

I let out a relieved laugh.

"I'm doing it! I'm actually do-"

 _BREEBREEBREEBREEBREE-_

"RHAAAGH!"

As I lunged forward, my world suddenly erupted into a confusing mess of soundwaves. I shook my head, snarling as Zia, Franklin, and Maisie banged pots and pans together from different corners of the paddock. Through the disorienting vibration of the walls, I noticed something pink running towards a small opening. I snarled and shot after it, face slamming into a closed door. I clawed at the metal for a good long time before I realized that someone was calling my name.

"Claire? . . . Claire? . . . CLAIRE!"

I froze, silencing the screech of my claws against the metal. Slowly, I turned around and saw Owen tapping his foot. I gulped and rubbed my wrist tenderly.

"What was my time?"

Franklin held up his watch.

"Sorry, I didn't catch it. You were too fast for me."

I groaned, slumping to the ground and placing my paws over my face.

"Great . . ."

Owen jogged over to where I was lying, grabbing a metal bucket off the railing along the way.

"Hey, don't feel bad. We did better than yesterday."

He rummaged through the container.

"What do you want? Fish heads, beef jerky-"

"No meat," I insisted.

"Alright, then how about some celery? Or . . ."

He held up a carrot.

"Look what _I_ found . . ." he singsonged, shaking the vegetable with an open-mouthed smile.

I looked down, rumbling sadly.

"I don't deserve a carrot . . ."

He smiled with pity and tossed it down. I snapped it up, chewing resentfully.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Claire. You did good," Owen assured me.

"Yeah, right up until I tried to eviscerate a baby pig," I grumbled.

He exhaled and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Yeah, we seem to be having problems with the gun, but you're improving on that, too."

"Barely."

He smiled warmly.

"Come on, Claire. You should be proud. You're getting better and better every day. _I'm_ proud of you."

Despite everything, that made me feel a _little_ better, even if it wasn't deserved.

"That little piggy's gonna live to see another day, thanks to your improvement. He'll be telling all of his friends about you, back in the Hundred Acre Wood . . ."

"Yeah, well, he almost didn't make it to the market, Owen."

He shrugged.

"'Almost' is the difference between life and death, Claire. Don't take your victory for granted."

"You were brilliant, Claire!" Maisie piped up as she skipped down the catwalk, "Much better than _last_ time!"

I huffed and crossed my arms.

"Maisie, I'm considering not letting you watch these sessions. If something goes wrong-"

"It won't. You're a good dinosaur."

She tugged on Owen's sleeve.

"Can I feed her a rat?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Maisie, I am NOT going to eat a r-"

I cut off, snapping the rodent out of the air as it fell. Maisie giggled as I tapped my toes sourly.

"Very funny . . ."

She reached for another treat, but Owen held her hand back.

"Hey, now. Don't you be spoiling her appetite. She hasn't had breakfast yet."

"Can you tell Moonwatcher to stop feeding me fish heads?" I grumbled.

"Fair enough, but you're gonna have to eat SOME meat, at least. You're an _omnivore_ , don't forget."

"Yeah, but meat makes me think of-"

I broke off, not wanting Maisie to bear witness to this particular conversation. I nodded to the paddock door.

"Can I have a word with you, Owen?"

He nodded, sending Maisie over to Iris, who had been reading an embroidery magazine in the shade. Owen made his way to the staircase and pattered down. A set of bars separated us, but he wasn't afraid to reach through them and rub my snout.

"Hey, is everything okay?"

I sighed.

"I don't know. I'm trying my best, but . . ."

He scratched my chin.

"Hey. Nobody's expecting you to change overnight. Don't beat yourself up over it."

As he ran his hand over my front horn, I let myself believe his assertions. After all, I must have improved significantly since I started out, if I could let him touch my muzzle like this.

(But I could totally bite his hand of right now, if I wanted to.)

And there it was. No matter how hard I tried to dull my urges, those violent flashes always turned up in one form or another.

Owen noticed the look in my eyes and withdrew his hand.

"Too much for one day?"

"I'm starting to lose my grip again."

The look on his face made me regret admitting that.

"But only for now!" I added quickly, "It's just that I'm tired, and the training wore down on me a little."

He nodded.

"Let me know if I push you too far. I know you're hard on yourself, but I'm only a notch below you on that front. I don't want to do more harm than good."

"Well, the harder you are on me, the faster I'll get better."

"That's not how it works."

I supposed he was right, but I didn't _want_ him to be. In a perfect world, more effort would mean more positive results, but living creatures are a bit more complicated than input/output.

"Is there anything I could be doing better?" Owen asked.

Many things leapt to mind. First, less fish heads and rats. The Indoraptor part of my brain didn't mind the taste, but it wasn't the kind of thing that I should be getting used to. And normalizing it around Maisie was an even _worse_ idea. I wasn't a _pet_ , and treating me like one could encourage bad habits, both in me _and_ my caretakers. Second, many of our training exercises felt infantilizing, or worse, _dehumanizing_. Owen spoke to me like I was too simple-minded to understand what I was being taught to do. It was like asking a university graduate how many apples Joe has if he gives two of five to his friends. Worse still, this carried over to our everyday lives. Owen had used the clicker two days ago during an evening out, excusing his actions by explaining that training didn't end when we left the paddock; as long as my brain was acting up, it needed to be treated as a work in progress. I suppose he was right, but it was humiliating to receive stares from the other patrons of the restaurant. And finally, I didn't like the way he _looked_ at me when I explained my situation to him. Violent as my impulses were, I didn't _choose_ what thoughts flashed through my disturbed mind, and it wasn't like I had _acted_ on the majority of them. I wanted him to understand that telling him about these instances was not a promise that I'd live out my fantasies. I was just stating the facts, and on rare occasions, warning him not to push me any further. If anything, me keeping quiet about my feelings would put him at risk. I would always feel ashamed of my condition, but part of me knew that it wasn't my fault, and treating the truth as taboo was _not_ going to help either of us.

"Claire?"

" _You're_ the trainer. You know what's best."

Yeah, that's about how I expected it to go. I wondered if I'd ever reach a breaking point, if all of my emotions would come bubbling to the surface and force an eruption. I promised myself not to let it get that far. If things got really dire, I'd be honest with Owen, difficult though it may be.

He smiled.

"You know, you're doing a lot better than my raptors. It took _years_ to get them to follow my commands."

"Great. I'm doing better than a bunch of wild animals," I snarked.

"It may not _sound_ like high praise, but they were pretty intelligent. Blue, especially. You're at least _twice_ as smart as _she_ was."

I shook my head.

"No, not smart. I _know_ what I'm supposed to do, but it's the _instinct_ that's getting in my way."

"Right, so I'm teaching you-"

"Obedience?"

Yikes. It didn't sound very healthy when I phrased it like that.

"I mean . . . self-control. You're teaching me self-control."

"Sure."

He detected a drop in my spirits and reached through the bars, caressing my cheeks.

"You know, you're looking a little greener."

"Yeah, right."

"No, it's true! You probably don't notice it, since it seems gradual from your point of view, but you're greener than before, and your quills are getting shorter."

I gave a noncommittal hum.

"According to my most recent blood sample, I'm point five percent closer to being a pure Stegoceratops."

"That's great!"

"I guess it's _something_ , but I wasn't too happy when Moonwatcher first told me. It's one thing to wonder about how well you're doing, but it's another thing entirely to measure your progress empirically. And _point five_ wasn't the number I was hoping for."

"Don't let the math get you down," Owen cooed, "You'll only hold yourself back by psyching yourself out."

"It could serve as motivation . . ."

He quirked a brow.

"Claire Dearing, if I've learned one thing about you, it's that you're a self-destructive perfectionist. Don't drive yourself into the ground in the name of achieving a high score. Go at a comfortable pace, and you'll improve faster than if you try to force it."

I sighed.

"Maybe."

"Hey," he asserted, "Numbers don't mean anything. It's what's in _here_ that counts."

He pointed at my chest.

"Wrong side, Owen."

He moved his finger.

" _Here_ , then."

"How do you not know where the heart is?" I gawked.

"Well, you're facing me, so-"

"Right, right. It almost ruined the moment, though."

"Well, you didn't _have_ to correct me . . ."

I smiled.

"You got your point across anyway."

He laughed.

"I guess you could say that my heart was in the right pl-"

I leaned forward to kiss his cheek. He flinched, expecting an attack, but when he realized what I was doing, he leaned in. I nuzzled his ear.

 _Click-click-click._

"Owen!"

He laughed.

"Just kidding . . ."

I rolled my eyes.

"God, you're SO obnoxious!"

He tickled my chin.

"I thought you wanted feedback . . ." he cooed.

"I do, but only on my performance . . . _in the paddock_ ," I snarked, sensing an impending quip just in time.

"Well, in that case, I'd give you a solid C," he beamed.

My jaw dropped.

" _Only_ a C?!"

He shrugged weakly.

"Maybe a C-plus."

A third voice chimed in.  
"Add another plus, and she'll render beautifully."

I turned and saw Moonwatcher trotting over merrily. Although she spoke cheerfully, I detected exhaustion in her voice. In hindsight, I should have started asking more questions right then and there, but I couldn't have known . . .

"You've been gone awhile," Owen remarked.

She shrugged casually.

"Yeah, well, I had to deal with that . . . _thingy_. Turns out, it was a false alarm."

"What-"

"It's nothing to worry about," she interrupted, "Like I said, false alarm. There was a miscommunication, and I panicked, but nothing actually _happened_."

"No?"

"Nope," she squeaked, "Everything's normal."

Owen scanned my figure.

"If _this_ is 'normal' for you, I'd hate to see what you consider 'out of the ordinary'."

Although his remark wasn't meant to offend me, I felt my heart skip. Accurate though it may be, the statement carried with it a lot of implications. This twinge didn't go unnoticed by Owen, who caught sight of my betrayed expression.

"But we're taking the necessary steps to get things back to the way they were before," he added.

I forced a smile. As it turned out, that twang in my heart hadn't gone away, but had instead mutated into a hollow ache. I couldn't help but feel as though Owen had let the mask slip a bit, and it wasn't the first time. But it was ridiculous to get upset, I reminded myself, because he was absolutely right. I _was_ abnormal, in just about every way a person _could_ be. Did I actually expect him to go on _loving me_ in this state?

Did I _want_ him to?

I shook the thought. It was just my dinosaur brain trying to take over. _Of course_ I didn't want him to love me. How could I trust a man who was drawn to a horrifying monster such as myself? It was a _good_ thing that he wasn't attracted to me like this. He had the moral high ground, and once I had purged every last strand of Indoraptor DNA from my genetic makeup, he would love me again. That was why I needed to get better. I wanted to be loveable again. Everything was going according to plan.

So why did I feel like crying?

"You ready to head back?"

I realized that I had been tuning out the rest of the conversation. Bad sign. I was letting the little things get to me. I couldn't allow myself to follow these dangerous trains of thought if I wanted to get better. I was allowing my reptile-brain too much room to wander. Time to give its leash a good yank.

"I'm ready."

Owen pressed a button to raise the gate. I waited until it was high enough to duck under and exited the paddock. As I lumbered onto the path, I heard something skittering nearby.

"ROAR!"

I tensed up, quills bristling, and wheeled around to face Maisie. She laughed until she noticed my paw shaking in the air. I had been ready to strike.

"Oh . . . I suppose I should stop scaring you, then," she said quietly.

I nodded with shame.

"That would probably be best . . . for now . . ."

Owen gave me the side-eye.

"We okay? . . ."

I took a deep breath.

"I'm okay."

I had come to discover something new about my impulses. Aside from the usual feeling of glee I experienced while imagining acts of violence, I was also plagued by subtler instincts that latched onto my regular emotions. Fear, anger, sorrow- _everything_ , really- was now preceded by violent flashes. Even a few minutes ago, I had had a vision of tearing Owen apart, just for hurting my feelings. I wasn't sure what to make of these sentiments. It could be that my reptile-brain was poisoning already-existing thoughts, or else it was just my violent side looking for an excuse to manifest itself. The latter was more likely, given how eager I was to fight that monster in the jungle, but I could also be experiencing some weird, unceasing form of dinosaur PMS. And speaking of that strange creature in the jungle, I had received absolutely NO explanation for its existence. I tried to ask Moonwatcher several times, but she always replied with some variation of, "Don't worry about it," or, "It's all taken care of." Now, _that alone_ was suspicious enough, but compared to how she usually addressed random occurrences . . . Well, let's just say that there was a _huge_ discrepancy between her reactions. I was used to getting answers such as, "Oh, that's just our family counsellor, Alison. She was conceived via magic lesbian sex and has a glowing crest that puts people to sleep when she whistles at a specific frequency." If something like _that_ could be hand-waved away like it was nothing, surely concealing details about unexplained Indoraptor-creatures meant that there was something rotten in the state of . . . Isla Nublar.

"Claire?"

I jumped.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about-"

Owen rubbed my snout.

"Claire, it's okay. We understand that you have no control over your impulses."

". . . thinking about that dinosaur in the jungle," I finished.

Owen gulped.

"Oh. Right. Sorry."

I turned to Moonwatcher.

"Did you ever find out where that thing came from?"

She laughed.

"You needn't be concerned with any of that. We have things under control."

Just what I expected.

***TSJWFKFEW***

When I returned to the lab, my fellow inmates were having lunch, with the exception of Eli, who consistently woke up so late in the day that afternoon meals were basically his breakfast. He was sipping gasoline from a jerrycan like he was taking his morning coffee in a juice box, but despite how ridiculous he looked, his pompous smirk got under my skin- or _scales_ , as it were.

"Back from training already? I hope no one got _eaten_ . . ."

I matched his snide tone, adding just a hint of icy confidence as I slipped into my cage.

"Oh, Eli, you know as well as _I_ do that they'd never let that happen. Tell me, when they walk you, do they keep you on an electrified leash, or is it one of those cheap retractable ones they use on puppies?"

He snorted, puffing exhaust from his nostrils.

"They save all the fancy gadgets for _you_ , Claire, because they can't count on you having any self-control."

I hummed, cocking my head and smiling condescendingly.

"Well, at least when _I_ act out, it's an accident. _You_ kill people _on purpose_."

He nodded.

"You're right. _My_ actions are motivated. _You_ murder for fun."

A lug nut bounced off his snout. He turned to glare at Owen, fumes pouring out from between his teeth.

"Watch it, buddy. You'll overheat."

Moonwatcher trotted up to Eli's cage.

"He's right, you know. This isn't a healthy way to vent your anger. Not a healthy way to vent _exhaust_ , either. If you don't use the proper channels, you could suffocate or get bloated, and I am NOT paying for your medical bills . . ."

Owen quirked a brow.

"Does he have an exhaust pipe or something? . . ."

Moonwatcher nodded.

"Oh, yes. It's right by his-"

Eli snapped his jaws.

"Quiet, you!"

She put her hands on her hips.

"Friendo, you're gonna have to let it out eventually. I may take you on drives to charge your battery, but I'm not gonna cater to your insecurities by releasing you when you can't hold it in anymore."

As Eli's frown deepened, Owen's curiosity intensified.

"What do you mean? Why would he hold it in?"

"Eli's exhaust pipe is-"

He revved his engine.

"I'm warning you . . ."

She snickered.

"It's located-"

"STOP IT!"

". . . in his anus."

I took a closer look, and sure enough, there was a metal tube poking out of his rear. I'm not usually one for potty humour, but this was too perfect. I burst out laughing.

"Oh my god!" I squealed, "Eli has a pole up his ass!"

He tucked his tail between his legs self-consciously.

"Shut up! I didn't _ask_ to be built this way!"

Owen snorted.

"I sure _hope_ not! Hey, Claire, why don't you stick a potato up there and see if he backfires?"

The room echoed with laughter. Even Wheatley- he was the robot-armed Indoraptor in the cage behind mine, I had discovered- got in on the action.

"Gasoline goes in one end, _gas_ comes out the other! Hey, what's your fuel efficiency like? Do you emit toxic fumes, or are you one of those fancy _hybrids_?"

He laughed at his own joke, and I did too, not because I found it particularly funny, but because I knew it was getting to Eli. Aside from the crested hybrid, who never really reacted to anything, he was the only person in the room who wasn't having a good laugh. He wheeled around (Ha! "Wheeled.") and parked in the corner of his cage, facing away from us.

"Shut up."

I have to say, despite the fact that he was practically (and literally) an inhuman monster, there was a brief flicker of pity in my heart, seeing him like that. If it had been anyone else, our teasing would have been unnecessarily cruel, but he _deserved_ it. Didn't that make it okay?

I shook the thought as Owen walked up to my cage for a quick goodbye.

"I'm taking Maisie to the pool this afternoon, but we'll stop by later, if we have time. Otherwise, I'll see you tomorrow."

I smiled.

"See you."

I leaned forward for a kiss. He pecked my snout, and I very nearly licked his cheek. I was pretty sure that it was the Stegoceratops part of my brain that came up with that idea, since I didn't intend to hurt him in any way, but I realized that without context, it would seem like I was sneaking a taste of my prey. Besides, it was a little weird to lick someone, even if that someone was Owen. Maybe it was more acceptable for dinosaurs to lick people, but I wasn't exactly eager to become more dinosaur-ish, regardless of how sentient they may be in this world. I was a prisoner in this body, and I didn't want to get comfortable with it, especially since it was only a temporary accommodation.

I hoped.

***TSJWFKFEW***

I awoke to a strange chemical smell. It was stale, but still pungent, and it made the roof of my mouth burn. I sniffed the air until my gaze fell on Eli's cage. The floor was splotched with damp, blue patches. To my surprise, Eli was awake, and as such, I couldn't resist giving him a poke.

"Well, well, well, someone's been leaking . . ."

He grunted.

"Radiator's busted."

"Been holding in too much exhaust?"

He sighed and rolled onto his back.

"You're such a cunt, Claire."

"Coming from you, that's a compliment," I twittered, "But in all seriousness, you should probably get that checked out. I don't know what kind of fluid is seeping out of you-"

"It's from my radiator, I said!"

I was taken aback by his sudden defensiveness. Nothing I'd said was particularly inflammatory, or at least not compared to everything else. What was he so upset about?

"Alright, alright," I conceded, "It's none of my business, anyway."

"No, it's not."

"Mhm. So I'll just mind my own business."

"Please do."

"Fine."

"Yes. Fine."

I wondered if I'd struck a nerve yesterday. He seemed to be genuinely hurt by my remarks, or at least _peeved_ by them, and while I didn't particularly care about sparing his feelings, I _did_ feel a little bit guilty. If I didn't take the moral high ground, I'd be no better than _him_ \- Well, okay, I'd still be _miles_ ahead of him, but it was still a mean thing to do, insulting him like that. Maybe I shouldn't make fun of his car-parts anymore. I had stockpiled at least twenty jokes- all of them _golden_ , by the way- but attacking him over something he couldn't control was kind of a low blow. Besides, it wasn't his vehicular features that I took issue with, but rather, the fact that he was a total ass-wipe. Joking about his appearance might get on his nerves temporarily, but it was counterproductive in the long run. I wanted him to know _why_ I hated him, and in doing so, prove that I had a stronger moral compass, and that I didn't have to resort to petty invectives for ammo. There was plenty to dislike about Eli Mills on a fundamental level, and I didn't want him to get away with that villainy.

I jumped as Moonwatcher burst through the doors.

"Morning, Claire! There's been a change of plans. You and I are going on a _field_ trip."

***TSJWFKFEW***

When Moonwatcher said "field trip," what she meant to convey was that we were taking a trip to a _literal_ field. We trudged through the ankle-high grass, which swayed under a gentle breeze.

"Owen told me about your dietary issues, so I decided to provide you with a more _natural_ alternative. The Stegoceratops part of you is a herbivore, so I've hired another herbivore to teach you how to eat grass and shit. You remember Gunnar Eversoll?"

"Gunnar Eversol?" I echoed.

"It's spelled with two L's, Claire."

I scrunched up my nose.

"Wait, how did you-"

"Shoosh. Nevermind that. Listen, he was the guy auctioning off all those dinosaurs, only now he IS a dinosaur, but not, like, an Indoraptor, because he was too _digested_ to be salvaged in his original form. We brought him back as an Agathadon."

"Agath-"

"Hybrid dinosaur. Stop interrupting."

I frowned.

"Continue."

She tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"Since he was dead, and thus didn't need to be reintegrated into the canon, we decided to bring him here."

"Why?"

"What do you mean, ' _why_ '?"

"Well, if you really _do_ go to all the trouble to bring people back from the dead, I'd hope you have a good reason for doing so."

"Nope. Not really."

"So why _do_ it?"

"We don't have anything to lose by saving him, and it's always nice to make new friends."

I snuffed.

"I'm not sure he's the kind of friend you should be making . . ."

"Yeah, well, second chances, and all . . . I'm actually surprised by how easily he turned. Most of the time, rehabilitating villains takes time, resources . . . violent persuasion."

She mumbled that last example.

"But with Gunnar, we didn't even have to bring out the bamboo shoots."

When I shot her a concerned look, she smiled brightly.

"We, uh, we use bamboo shoots to . . . to _tickle_ them . . . under the fingernails . . . until they break . . ."

I hoped she was joking, but I didn't get a chance to ask.

"Anyway, here we are. Gunnar's gonna teach you to eat properly. Run free, Claire. Go and stuff your ugly face until you're an adorably rotund ball of scales and lard."

I never quite know how to respond to Moonwatcher when she says stuff like that, but in this case, I did as I was told. As I made my way down the hill, I saw a herbivore standing in the field, grazing peacefully. It was the teal-colored ceratopsian from the lab. When I was close enough for him to hear me coming, he lifted his head, cheeks full of vegetation. His eyes widened at the sight of a partial-predator approaching. Cud fell from his mouth as his jaw dropped, and he turned to run.

"Hello!" I called out timidly.

He stumbled, then turned to face me, still shaking.

"Are you . . . Are you _Claire_?" he quavered.

"Mhm. Did Moonwatcher tell you I was coming?"

He gulped.

"Yes, but . . . Well, I was expecting someone like _me_ , not a- uh- whatever you are."

I forced a laugh.

"Well, I may be part carnivore, but I'm mostly a vegetarian. Like, over sixty percent? . . ."

He blinked. I waited for a reply, but received none. I gave a bright, toothy smile.

"So . . . why don't we get started?"

He nodded slowly.

"Okay . . ."

When he didn't continue, I looked from side to side.

"Aren't you- Aren't you going to teach me to _graze_ or something?"

He shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, all you do is bend down, take a mouthful of grass, and . . . chew."

"Oh . . . right . . ."

I did exactly that, but I somehow managed to uproot a huge clump of dirt. Gunnar stared at me, then shook his head.

"You went in with too much force. You can't pull up directly. What you wanna do is kind of tilt your head to the side and tear it out. Tilt and tear, tilt and tear . . ."

Jesus Christ, I was so _above_ this. I didn't need a lesson on how to eat _grass_.

Another mouthful of dirt proved me wrong. I spat it out and wiped my mouth with embarrassment.

"Hey, don't be discouraged if you don't get it the first time," he said gently, "I know it _looks_ easy, but that's why you're overthinking it. It's only as hard as you allow it to be. Let your instincts drive you, and you'll get it, I promise."

It took a few tries before I got it right. When I came up with torn grass in my beak, Gunnar smiled.

"There you go. It takes practice, but once you get into a rhythm, you won't have any trouble at all."

Oddly enough, he was right. I found myself getting lost in the tilt-and-tear pattern, and soon, I was grazing like . . . Well, like a _dinosaur_ , I suppose. I was glad to finally have some decent sustenance, since my hunger had been fuelling my murderous impulses to some degree, but I couldn't help but feel as though this was nothing to celebrate. I didn't realize that I had stopped grazing until Gunnar looked up with worry.

"You okay? . . ."

I exhaled slowly and shook my head.

"This isn't right."

He backed away nervously.

"L-Look, if you have a craving for meat, you're legally obligated to tell m-"

"No, it's not that," I said, "I'm just upset that it's come to this."

"Come to what?"

"Grazing in a meadow."

He batted his eyes with surprise.

"Really? This is all I could ever hope for."

I cocked my head.

"Huh?"

He shrugged.

"Well, maybe it seems _odd_ to people like you, but in my past life, I only lived for one thing: _money_. And the reason I _wanted_ that money was so I could live comfortably. Well, now I'm a dinosaur, and I have no use for money, but I'm living comfortably all the same. There's no stress, no pressure . . . just a field full of grass. It's like a permanent vacation."

I narrowed my eyes.

"And you're . . . _okay_ with that? You want to _graze_ for the rest of your life?"

He thought it through.

"Well, I also roll around in the sunlight, but yes, I'm happy with my current situation."

I was baffled.

"Why? . . . _How_? . . ."

He hummed.

"Well, like I said, I have everything I need, everything I _want_. I'm free to do as I please. I finally got what I was working towards, all those years."

I frowned with disapproval.

"Was it worth breaking the law, just to get a field full of grass?"

He chuckled.

"Claire, if you think the legality of what I was doing was the biggest problem, you're being naïve."

"Am I?" I asked icily.

He sighed, turning his eyes to the sky.

"Claire, the law isn't always just or fair. It's no barometer for morality. But I've caused a lot of harm, I'll give you that much. I can only guess at the scope of my influence, but I imagine some of the arms I sold off ended up in the wrong hands. That's not to say it was wrong solely because it was _illegal_. I know for a fact that the U.S. government has done _far_ worse, and they only get away with it because _they're_ the ones who decide what's 'illegal' and what's not. As for _me_ , I was just in it for the money."

"That's selfish."

He nodded.

"I don't need reminding. Listen, Claire, I get the feeling that you think very little of me, and maybe with good reason, but whatever your feelings are about my past actions, I can assure you that I have no desire to return to my former position. I'm _out_ , plain and simple."

"But you haven't done anything to _fix_ your mistakes."

He shook his head.

"No, I haven't, but I don't intend to make any more. I'm not a bad person, Claire, or at least not when I'm well taken care of. I had no political motivations, no desire for conquest . . . it was all just a means to an end. And maybe to you, that makes me a monster, but I think we both know that there's more to every monster's story than just acting evil for the sake of it."

My face softened. Gunnar sat on his rump, then folded his arms across his chest, lying on his belly like a cat.

"I'm not perfect, Claire, but if left to my own devices, I don't _have_ to be a bother. Maybe that's selfish, I don't know, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm not hurting anyone right now, and as long as I stay in my field, that won't ever change."

"But you can't do this forever . . ."

"Why not?"

"Because you're not the only person on this island. You're gonna have to interact with people at _some_ point."

"I know. I'm doing that now, and there doesn't seem to be a problem."

I shook my head.

"I'm just one person, but there's a whole community of dinosaurs out there, and you can't ignore them forever."

He swallowed.

"They don't need me. There's no reason to get involved with them."

"Well . . . what about having an active social life?"

"Don't need one. Never had one."

"I find that hard to believe. Didn't you have _friends_ before turning into a dinosaur?"

He shrugged.

"I had _clients_ , but that's not exactly the same thing."

"Ah. Well, were you _close_ with any of them?"

"Yes and no. We knew each other well, but only interacted for business purposes. They wouldn't come looking for me now, let's put it that way."

"How do you know?"

"Because they haven't."

"Oh."

He stared at the ground for a moment, then stood up to graze.

"No one needs me, and it's probably better that way. I'd only cause trouble by getting involved, so as far as I'm concerned, I'm a neutral party."

I bit my beak.

"So if someone asked for help, you wouldn't give it to them?"

He snorted.

"Claire, I'm not _completely_ heartless. I have no qualms with giving directions or finding lost pets. I'm just not keen to attend potluck parties or play poker, that's all. But if someone needs me, unlikely as that may be, I'm not about to say 'no'. Why would I be helping _you_ , otherwise?"

I looked down.

"Ah . . ."

He let his tail drop to the ground.

"Claire, you don't have to agree with me. I'm not trying to convince you that my way is right. I just want to be left alone, that's all, for everyone's sake."

"Okay. I get it."

He clamped down on a patch of grass, but let it go almost immediately.

"You still think I'm being malicious, and it's bugging me."

I started.

"No, no. It's just-"

He groaned.

"Look, Claire, I know I've aligned myself with some morally questionable people in the past. Eli Mills, he was in it for the money too, but it was driving his egotism and thirst for power. I don't know who the hell he was trying to impress, but he's a lot less talented than he believes himself to be. I get the impression that he's the kind of guy who gets so wrapped up in one idea that it doesn't occur to him to follow it to its conclusion. He wanted to weaponize dinosaurs, you know, but the _real_ goldmine was genetic power in general. Infuse a human soldier with dinosaur DNA, and you got yourself a powerful weapon. Much more dangerous than just taping a gun to a velociraptor or whatever the hell he had planned. But Eli didn't think of that, because in many ways, he's small-minded. And I had no desire to help him along, obviously, so I didn't suggest anything. I was in it for the money, and nothing more. I'm no moustache-twirler. Not like Eli or his flunkies . . . Well, for all I know, they're just being strung along, too. I'm not sure they're criminal masterminds, themselves."

He was right. The other day, Wheatley had bashed his head into the wall to smoosh a fly that kept landing on his nose. Not exactly machiavellian.

"I almost feel bad for the guy," Gunnar continued, "He clearly didn't know what he was doing. It's no surprise things turned sour."

"I guess we both suffered from his actions, huh?" I remarked.

Gunnar shook his head.

"Not at all. I mean, I didn't particularly enjoy being eaten by a dinosaur, but I'm happy with the way things turned out. Like I said, this is all I ever wanted."

"What about a friend? . . ."

He smiled.

"It's kind of you to offer, but I don't want to be a burden. We probably wouldn't get along, anyway."

"Oh."

"But if you want us to be friendly _acquaintances_ , I wouldn't mind having someone to graze with from time to time."

I returned his smile.

"Sounds like a plan. I'm gonna need a lot of grass to keep this body going."

He sucked a dandelion through his pursed beak.

"Oh, that reminds me. Moonwatcher told me to keep an eye on you because you might have an eating disorder."

I gawked at him.

"WHAT?!"

"I don't know where she got _that_ idea . . . Hey, do you find her a bit . . . _odd_?"

I growled.

"Understatement of the century."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Gunnar and I grazed until the afternoon. We discussed many things, having profound philosophical debates through the cud in our cheeks, but once we were full, we decided that it was time to part ways. Before we did, however, Gunnar led me into the woods to, quote, "let me in on a secret." I was afraid he might be referring to a murder-shed or something, but instead, we arrived at a clearing full of purple flowers. My heart fluttered. It was a thistle patch.

"Aren't they wonderful?" he gushed, "No one else comes here, except for me. I feel bad, hogging it all to myself like this, but they're just so _good_. It makes you wanna-"

He lunged forward and chomped on one of the buds. His eyes rolled up, and he started drooling profusely as his cheeks went to work.

"Dey're sho bulbush," he slobbered, bouncing gently on his front feet.

His thistle-induced gluttony came to an end when he noticed how quiet I had been.

"Claire? . . ."

Tears filled my eyes.

"Gunnar, how do you cope with the things you've done? . . ."

He tilted his head to one side.

"What do you mean?"

My throat wobbled.

"How do you go on living when your actions resulted in the loss of innocent life? How do you get _past_ that?"

He looked out at the thistle patch.

"Well, to be perfectly honest . . . I _haven't_ gotten past that, and I don't think I _ever_ will."

I was taken aback by his reply. He smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry I can't offer a more comforting answer, Claire, but the truth is, you've found me out. It's true that I'm happy with the life I'm living now, but I'm pretty sure nothing will ever erase my guilt, and truth be told, I'm afraid there's no point in trying. What good can possibly come from my redemption? No one _needs_ me. No one even _wants_ me. It may seem selfish to live out the rest of my days in isolation, but what's worse is fantasizing about finding a place in the same society I exploited. How can I hope for love when I've done nothing to deserve it? How can I try to win those people back when I'm only doing it for my own personal benefit? I'd rather stay here, lonely as I may be, than seek out something I haven't earned."

My mouth was dry.

"So you won't even _try_ to make up for the things you've done?"

He shook his head, eyes suddenly distant.

"I don't know if _anything_ I do will ever be enough, and I'd rather not find out."

That wasn't the answer I was hoping for. As we made our way out of the forest, neither of us said a word. For the first time, I sensed pain in Gunnar's heart, and it was like looking into a mirror. What if he was right? What if we _couldn't_ be redeemed? The thought terrified me.

"Hey!"

I looked up. Owen was jogging towards us.

"You ready for another training session?"

I nodded, ignoring the voice in the back of my mind that kept asking if there was even a point.

***TSJWFKFEW***

When we reached the gate, Owen stepped through with me. I froze in my tracks, but it didn't faze him.

"We're gonna try something different, okay?"

"Different? . . ." I echoed.

"This is going to be a hands-on session."

My jaw dropped.

"You're not planning on staying _in here_ with me, are you?"

"Yup."

I sputtered.

"Owen, _bad idea_! I can't _do_ this!"

"Sure, you can. I trust you."

I held his gaze.

"Then trust me when I say that I can't do this . . ."

He frowned.

"Claire Dearing, do you want to make progress, or not?"

I gulped.

"I _do_ , but-"

"Then you'll do as I say."

 _I'm afraid there's no point in trying._

"Claire? . . ."

I let out a long breath. No, I was nothing like Gunnar. I could still do this.

"I'm ready."

The training proceeded as usual. It wasn't too different from the last time, except I kept getting distracted by Owen's proximity . . .

"Claire!"

I snapped my head to the side. Owen held out his hand.

"Eyes on me. I don't want you looking at that pig, okay?"

"O-okay."

(Two options. Two kills.)

"I said, eyes on me!"

(You need to be able to see him to catch him . . .)

I backed away, covering my eyes.

"Owen . . ."

"Claire, you stop that right now. Eyes on me."

(Why are you resisting? What could you _possibly_ lose by killing him?)

 _No one needs me._

(It's not like you're in a relationship anymore . . .)

 _No one even wants me._

"Eyes. On. Me."

(You're never getting better. Just let go. You'll be a lot happier.)

 _I don't know if anything I do will ever be enough, and I'd rather not find out._

"I'm not going to ask you again."

(He doesn't love you. He _never_ will. You're a monster.)

"Last warning."

(Nothing you do will EVER be enough.)

"Three . . ."

(Give in.)

"Two . . ."

(Give up.)

"O-"

I dove to the side in a blur of teeth and claws. A shrill screech was cut short as I clamped my mouth shut, but I continued to scream internally. The piglet's body slipped from my mouth. When I released my jaw, so did its head. Everyone watched in stunned horror. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Maisie burying her face in Iris' side. Owen was frozen in place, pale as a sheet. He took a shallow breath and stepped towards me.

"Claire . . ."

"Get away from me."

"Claire, I-"

"GO AWAY!"

I tried to stop myself, but it was too late. My arm swept by in a flash, and I raked my claws across Owen's face. He stumbled backwards, bleeding from three deep lacerations. He reached up slowly and touched his bloody cheek. My face fell.

I barely had time to choke out his name before three darts hit my neck, and the world turned to black.

***TSJWFKFEW***

When I woke up, I didn't bother moving. I just lay on my side, staring down at the lab's concrete floor and awaiting my execution. I had really blown it. There was no doubt they'd put me down for this. I had failed.

I continued to stare ahead blankly, even as the doors parted. I could tell that it was Owen by the way his footsteps sounded- I had eagerly awaited them many a morning- but I wasn't excited to see him now. I just felt empty.

He slowed to a stop beside my cage.

"Hey, Claire. You okay?"

I let my eyes meet his, raising my snout a little. My heart sunk at the sight of his red-streaked face. Those claw marks would probably scar him for life.

"You're not the one who should be asking," I whispered.

He gulped and ran his fingers through his hair.

"It's not as bad as it looks. They only used fourteen stitches."

I had nothing to say to that. I fixed my gaze on the concrete once more.

"I pushed you too far, yesterday," Owen continued, "I should have known better than to ignore your advice. You tried to warn me, but I wouldn't listen. I was so eager to make you feel like you were doing well . . . I shouldn't have overstepped my bounds."

"You were only doing what you thought was right," I said quietly, " _I_ have no excuse."

Owen shrugged.

"Well, you _kind of_ do. But either way, I'll accept partial blame."

Silence. He took a deep breath.

"Look, if you need to cool down, take all the time you need. I don't want to force you. But I'll be waiting for you in the paddock, whenever you're ready."

"Are you going to electrocute me?"

He pulled his head back with surprise.

"The hell? Of course not!"

"Poison, then?"

He frowned.

"Claire, what reason could I _possibly_ have to poison you during training?"

I lifted my head.

" _Training_? You mean, you're not putting me down?"

His jaw dropped.

"Claire, why on earth would I _put you down_? . . ."

"Because I mauled you."

He snorted.

"'Mauled?' Claire, this is _barely_ a scratch. You should see what the _raptors_ did to me . . ."

I wasn't buying it. He gave me guilty smile and cocked his head.

"Did you really expect me to put you down?"

"Yes."

He clicked his tongue.

"Gee, that's a bad sign. Do you really think I'm the kind of person who sends my loved ones to the electric chair for a little accident?"

"It wasn't _little_."

"And _you're_ not a rabid dog," he countered, "Claire, I wouldn't _kill_ someone I love over something like this."

He smiled coyly.

"I'm a better man than you think I am."

Before I could roll my eyes, he lifted my chin with his finger.

"And _you're_ a better woman than you think you are."

He kissed me on the beak, and I melted. Suddenly, my doubt evaporated. And so did my restraint, apparently.

I licked his cheek.

"Okay, maybe you _are_ part dog . . ."

I smiled.

"In that case, we'd better keep training."


	5. Zia's Electric Lesbian Powers

Gunnar was the first to sense an incoming attack. Being more in tune with his herbivorous side, he was able to detect the presence of predatory animals by the way the grass rustled, whereas any scent _I_ picked up was immediately categorized as a potential quarry. Even if I had inhaled the musk of the world's most vicious animal, the notion of being its prey wouldn't so much as cross my mind. I was at the top of most food chains, first of all, and second, I was designed to kill anything that crossed my path, regardless of whether or not the odds were stacked against me. It may sound like a recipe for disaster, but that same attitude had allowed me to defeat the monster in the jungle, who had been a great deal larger than me. I was _always_ in predator mode, even if _I_ was the one being hunted. Gunnar, on the other hand, was biologically programmed to view everything as a potential threat. In this case, he had good reason. He lifted his head, pupils shrinking to pinpoints, and rumbled softly, throat wobbling. Before he could flee, he was attacked from the side.

"ROAR!"

He lowed in panic and toppled over, kicking his legs out like he still expected to run. Maisie giggled, sliding down his back.

"Got you!"

Gunnar made a sound that was somewhere between a squeal and a scream, then went limp.

"I don't like this game . . ."

Maisie smiled and patted his triangular cheek bone.

"Don't be afraid. It's just pretend."

He grumbled and stood up on shaky knees.

"Well, my instincts can't tell the difference. Why don't you ever go after _Claire_?"

"Predators pick off the sick and elderly."

As Gunnar frowned with disapproval, I decided to step in.

"Maisie, that's not very nice . . ."

"I _know_. Nature isn't _nice_. It's dangerous and thrilling."

I rolled my eyes.

"No, I meant what you said about Gunnar. Apologize."

"What did I say?" she whined.

"That he's sick and elderly!" I spat back.

"No, I said 'predators pick off the sick and elderly'."

I frowned.

"Thereby implying . . ."

Her mouth hung open.

"Oh, that's not what I meant."

Gunnar sighed.

"It's okay, Maisie, I-"

"Mr. Eversoll isn't sick _and_ elderly. Just elderly."

He winced.

"I'm only fifty . . ."

I crossed my arms (one of the many advantages of being selectively bipedal).

"Maisie . . ."

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry."

"Like you mean it."

Maisie let out an exasperated sigh and turned to Gunnar.

"I'm sorry I called you old, even though it's technically true."

I twisted my beak.

"You know, predators also pick off children, especially when they misbehave."

She shrugged.

"It's okay, Claire," Gunnar sighed, "She's just having a bit of fun. _I'd_ go after me too, if _I_ was the one doing the hunting."

"Well, maybe you can be the T-Rex next time," I suggested, still glaring at Maisie out of the corner of my eye.

"No, that's okay. I'm not designed to be a predator, even if it's pretend. Why don't _you_ take a turn?"

I felt a chill run down my spine.

"Not a good idea."

". . . Oh . . . right . . ."

Maisie glanced at me nervously, then made her way over to Gunnar.

"I-I'm sorry I called you old."

His eyes darted over to me briefly, then he sighed and patted her shoulder.

"That's okay, Maisie. I forgive you."

Maisie looked to me for approval, visibly nervous. I nodded my head to the side.

"Go play. I need to have a private conversation with Mr. Eversoll."

Maisie slunk away hesitantly. Once she was far enough, I turned to Gunnar.

"What am I gonna _do_ with her?"

He snorted.

"You're asking the wrong dinosaur."

I watched as Maisie crouched down to pick dandelions.

"She's been through so much. Owen spoils her to compensate, but it's not fixing anything. She's out of control. But I can't parent her without coming across as a threat, and even _without_ all of this dinosaur stuff getting in my way, I'm _barely_ equipped to raise a child in the first place!"

"Again, I'm not someone you should be coming to for guidance," Gunnar said flatly.

I sighed and plopped myself down on my rump.

"My life is a _mess_ , Gunnar. It would have been hard enough raising Maisie as a human with Owen, but now I'm a vicious predator, and it's ruining everything!"

He shrugged casually.

"You're only half Indoraptor, though, right? Maybe _less_ , since you're part human-"

I stomped my foot.

"What do percentages matter, when I'm actively fighting the urge to _kill_ the people I love!"

He shrunk away.

"I'm sorry. I was just trying to make you feel better."

I pinched my forehead.

"I know, I know . . . I'm sorry. It's just . . . I'm not going to get any better with false praise."

Gunnar frowned.

"Well, I _could_ tell you that you're a bloodthirsty monster, but somehow, I don't think _that_ would help either."

When I didn't respond, he placed his front foot on my shoulder.

"Claire, I can recognize self-loathing when I see it. Believe me, it doesn't make things any easier. I know it's tempting to think the worst of yourself, because you're afraid that those hang-ups might be true, but feeding your insecurities doesn't lead to growth. It just gets you stuck in a bog of unhappiness. You mistakenly believe that validating the things you hate about yourself puts you on top, but what you're _really_ doing is letting yourself sink. I know that on some level, you _want_ to hear me say that you're a monster, because it would confirm your anxieties, but that's not self-awareness. It's self-harm."

I looked away. He nudged my side with his front horn.

"Claire, I know what it's like to be an outcast. Maybe not in the same way _you_ are, but similar. The thing is, even if what people say about you is true to some degree, affirming flaws only cements them into your being."

I shook my head stubbornly.

"That's not true. You need to recognize your flaws to overcome them."

"We both know that that's not what you're doing. You're going out of your way to seek out insults that validate your worst fears, but you're not doing so in the name of constructive criticism. You already _know_ that you have a problem, and repeating that fact is making you internalize it as a fundamental part of your being."

"But I was _designed_ to be-"

"Bullshit. None of us are _designed_ to be _anything_. Even if you're predisposed to violence, that doesn't make it _who you are_. If you were destined to forever be a killer, I wouldn't be _talking_ to you right now. We've been grazing together every day for the past week, and I'm still here to tell the tale."

I glared at him.

"Gunnar, I've been struggling not to pounce on you, these seven days."

"And you haven't done it."

"No, but I-"

"Claire, you can obviously control these impulses to some degree, which at the very least means your desire to be violent is lesser than your desire to be good."

"Aren't you scared that I have these thoughts in the first place?"

He was. I could literally smell his fear. I was ready to call him out for lying to me, but instead . . .

" _Of course_ I'm scared. My instincts tell me that you're a threat. You're genetically linked to the animal that killed me. And I know that you're ready to snap at any given moment."

He was right: that was _exactly_ what I wanted to hear. But it didn't make me feel any better, of course.

"If you're afraid, why are you still here?" I whispered.

"Same reason _you_ are. We're _better_ than we think we are. _Your_ instincts tell you to kill, _my_ instincts tell me to run, but we fight them all the same. _You're_ a predator, _I'm_ prey, but neither of us has acted like that's the case since we met. And lastly, I'm still here because- strong though my fear may be- my trust is _stronger_. I _know_ you won't hurt me, Claire, and _you know_ you won't hurt me, but you want to _believe_ that you could hurt me because you're _afraid_ it's true. You're more terrified of you than _I_ am."

Those words cut deep, but not in a hurtful way. I swallowed and sat back on my haunches.

"You're right."

"I know."

"I'm sorry. I've underestimated you."

"Happens all the time."

I cocked my head.

"Gunnar, you've been a better friend than I deserve."

"First of all, we're friendly _acquaintances_. Second, you deserve better."

I quirked a brow.

"You know, for all your talk of self-improvement, you still haven't mustered up the courage to leave this meadow."

"Hey, I'm here to fix _your_ problems, not _mine_."

I smiled.

"Well, maybe I can help you in return."

He turned away abruptly.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm happy here."

He ripped up a mouthful of grass in an attempt to put an end to the conversation.

"Gunnar . . ."

He let the cud drop.

"Look, maybe later, okay? I'm not ready."

"Are you just _telling_ yourself that because-"

He wheeled around and looked up at me with eyes that reflected a shocking amount of vulnerability.

"Claire, I have a lot to think about. I'm trying to work through this as best I can, but I'm not sure if it's even _right_ to _try_. _You're_ not responsible for what happened to you, but _my_ role in enabling the Indoraptor's escape led to a lot of suffering, and people are right to blame me for that."

"I haven't heard anyone blame you . . ."

"They would, if they knew."

"Are you sure that's not just your anxiety talking?"

He froze up.

"I . . . No. Maybe. I don't know. But whether or not the responsibility falls on my shoulders, I can't allow myself to be around the people who were affected by my actions, for their _own_ comfort and safety."

"But what if they _don't_ blame you for what happened?"

"Why _wouldn't_ they? I enabled Eli's plans. That puts me at fault, at least partly. I never intended to be the villain, but that's what I became in my complacency. My actions led to _several_ deaths, including my own. People _suffered_ because of me, and they're _not_ going to forgive me for that, let alone invite me into their community."

"Yes, they will."

"How could you possibly-"

I gestured to my body.

"I'd count myself as one of the victims of the Indoraptor. I am fully aware of what your role was in the incident, and I forgive you all the same."

His throat wobbled.

"But you're different."

"How?"

"No one else will welcome me with open arms."

"How do you know?"

"Because that's not what I deserve."

I tapped my toe.

"It kind of sounds like you're stuck in that swamp you mentioned earlier."

"Bog."

I quirked a brow.

"One wrong word doesn't make me any less right."

He snorted.

"If I'd known you'd throw that back at me, I wouldn't have brought it up . . ."

"Gunnar, don't torture yourself."

"Grazing all day is _hardly_ torture."

"You know what I mean. Come back with me. I'm sure Moonwatcher would gladly provide housing-"

"I'll think about it."

"That's a weak answer."

He glowered at me bitterly.

"And it's the only one you're getting. I'd rather not talk about this right now, thanks."

"But someday?"

"Maybe."

"Soon?"

"Your kid's back."

I noticed Maisie hobbling down the hill. She paused, wondering if she was interrupting our adult conversation.

"It's okay, Maisie, you can come down now," I called.

She shuffled over with her hands behind her back.

"I thought about what I said, and I really _am_ sorry for being so rude."

"That's okay, pumpkin," Gunnar replied with exhaustion, "I know you didn't intend any harm."

She held out a clump of dandelions.

"I made you a bouquet."

"That's sweet of you."

He took the weeds in his beak, chewing slowly as Maisie stroked his snout.

"I found a drawing of an Agathaumas in my dinosaur encyclopedia, and it only has one horn on its nose. Why do _you_ have two?"

"I'm a hybrid."

"But iguanodons don't have horns . . ."

"Maybe I'm part rhinoceros."

Maisie laughed.

"Can we play dinosaurs again?"

I groaned.

"Maisie, why can't you play horses like all the _other_ girls? . . ."

"I like dinosaurs better."

I smiled with nostalgia.

"You know, when _I_ was your age, I had a pony doll called Scoops."

"That's SO weird."

I jumped in surprise. Moonwatcher was standing right next to me.

"What the hell?! Where did you-"

"The _other_ Claire's childhood pony was Lickety-Split, which means this is yet another point of divergence between our universes. Just like the lizard thing."

Moonwatcher was referring to me being spooked by lizards. Apparently, Stegoceratopses tended to have an irrational fear of specific small animals. The other Claire I kept hearing about was spooked by snakes. _I_ was spooked by lizards. This part of me was strictly saurian, since I had kept a pet lizard for a good many years, no problem. Now, however, the thought of her made me want to rear up on my hind legs, which was an exceptionally cruel turn of fate. As much as I disliked my Indoraptor side, the Stegoceratops part of me wasn't a point of pride by any stretch of the imagination.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I _am_ my own person, you know. I'm sure the other Claire was nice, but-"

"We'll never fill the void she left behind, I know."

Not exactly what I was getting at, but I wasn't in the mood to correct her.

"I think I'm done grazing for the day."

"Cool. Are you gonna walk Maisie home?"

"Yes."

"Unsupervised?"

Ouch.

I hummed.

" _Actually_ , I was thinking Gunnar could-"

I turned, but he was already gone. He chewed cud in the distance, back turned to me. I was fairly certain he'd done that on purpose.

"Yes, unsupervised," I conceded, "I can handle it."

"Great! And if not, we always have the technology to cl-"

"Goodbye, Moonwatcher."

***TSJWFKFEW***

I got Maisie home safely, of course. I hope you didn't suspect otherwise.

I did, however, make the mistake of opening her window to let some air in, and she wasted no time slamming it shut and locking the bolts. She told me that she didn't want anything dangerous to get in, which was kind of funny, since the most ferocious predator known to man was standing right beside her. I didn't point that out, however, and instead assured her that we'd play again tomorrow, if there was time. She hugged my neck and told me that she loved me, and I said the same. It was always difficult leaving her like this, but I knew she was safe in Owen's hands, at the very least. He met me in the hallway, waving to Maisie before closing the door for another adult conversation. Since our little darling was prone to eavesdropping, we moved down the hall.

"You weren't in the meadow when I got there."

Uh-oh.

"Were you expecting to _meet_ me?"

"I wasn't expecting you to walk her back _alone_."

I didn't like where this was going.

"Oh. I'm sorry. Zia and Franklin were doing their own thing, and Moonwatcher was being Moonwatcher, so-"

"You could have waited for me."

I flinched at his tone.

"I . . . I didn't feel the need to."

"So I gathered."

I laughed nervously.

"Owen, I'm a big girl. I can handle myself."

"You _know_ that's not the issue, here."

My heart twisted into knots.

"Oh, come on, Owen! You know I wouldn't-"

As he glared at me through those three claw-marks, I realized that he had a point. I lowered my head in defeat.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"No, it won't. You're to wait for an escort, whether it be me, Zia, Franklin, or Moonwatcher. Otherwise, stay where you are. If there's an emergency, have that grey dinosaur walk you to the nearest phone."

"I'm not sure he would-"

"Or have him watch Maisie and go get help yourself. I don't care _what_ you do, as long as you're not _alone_ with her."

Seeing my distress, Owen's face softened.

"I'm only trying to protect her. You _know_ I trust you, but we can't take any chances."

My voice was shaky.

"I understand."

"Alright. This isn't anything personal, Claire, so-"

I lifted my head.

"I know, and you're absolutely right. I shouldn't have done what I did. I didn't mean to scare you. I'll be more mindful next time."

He scratched behind my ear.

"That's a good girl. And just for the record, I wasn't scared. I was _concerned_."

I didn't reply. He patted my cheek pleasantly.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah . . . see you tomorrow . . ."

I wasn't allowed to walk Maisie home alone, apparently, but Owen had no problem sending me back to the lab by myself. That was fine by me, because halfway down the road, I started crying. This earned me a few concerned glances from passing dinosaurs, but they knew better than to interfere. All except two, that is. Zia and Franklin saw me in my sorry state and rushed over to provide emotional support.

"You okay, honey?" Zia cooed.

I shook my head, gasping for air.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Owen doesn't trust me," I croaked.

She clicked her tongue.

"Oh, sweetheart . . ."

"I know he has good reason to be suspicious of me, but-"

Zia held my shoulders as I wiped my nose, sniffling.

"Honey, I know it's hard, but _we_ trust you. Right, Franklin?"

"Yup!"

Besides the fact that he said it through a clenched smile, Franklin's words were undercut by the reek of fear that wafted from his direction. Although the smell was always present on him, whenever _I_ was near, it was thick enough to warrant a butter knife.

"Owen just doesn't _understand_ you, but take it from a fellow carnivore: you're in good company."

"You're not a full carnivore," Franklin snuffed.

Zia rolled her eyes.

"Franklin, I am _just_ as much a carnivore as _Claire_ is, and _you_ are too, for that matter. It's just basic math. Aren't you supposed to be good with numbers?"

"Computing isn't the same as math."

"Alright, but I'm also a veterinarian, so I know my animals . . ."

I twisted my beak.

"Hey, did you ever figure out why you ended up the way you did?"

"As a hybrid, you mean? Well, I suppose I got the iguanodon stuff from a fossilized toe I used to have, and I also owned a megalodon tooth, so that's two parts down. I was bitten by a golden retriever that went after Kizzy, once, but I'm not sure why I'm not part cat, since I was around _her_ more. It doesn't seem to make much sense, and I wish I had just ended up as a brachiosaur. They're my favorite."

"Your neck _is_ kind of long . . ."

"Thank you!"

I turned to Franklin.

"So what about you? What happened there?"

He stared at me flatly.

"Part raptor because of Blue's blood, part sinoceratops because Owen got licked by one before sleeping next to me, and part horse because the Universe hates me."

"Makes sense."

"It really doesn't."

I shrugged.

"Well, whatever the reason for your . . . _bodies_ . . . you're both pretty cool. Not because of the dinosaur stuff. Just because you're the best friends I could ever hope for, and you've always been there for me when I need you."

"And we always _will_ be," Zia asserted.

Although I wasn't as large as the Indoraptor had been, my arms were long enough to wrap around both of them in a hug.

"What would I do without you? . . ."

"Watch Netflix all day?" Zia suggested.

"Find cooler people to hang out with?" Franklin speculated.

I gave him a noogie.

"You know I prefer dorks."

Zia snorted.

"Honestly, who _needs_ Owen? You're _way_ to cool for him anyway."

My smile disappeared.

"Well . . ."

"There are plenty of beefy blondes who will treat you better than _he_ does."

I shook my head.

"It's not his fault. It's just hard interacting with him, being the way I am right now. He has to be my boyfriend AND my personal trainer."

"So you two are still dating for sure, then?"

Hearing those words was like walking into a glass door. I blinked.

"I . . . I mean, we were kind of dating _before_ , right? . . ."

"Well, you two broke up a while back, but you _did_ get back together after that whole ordeal, right?"

 _Did_ we?

"Um . . . We- Wait, we kissed! We kissed in the dinosaur display, and it was good."

"So you were together after that."

"Yes! Kind of."

Franklin batted his eyes.

"What do you mean 'kind of'? You were about to raise a child together, right?"

I don't think I had grasped the full extent of my communication problems with Owen until that moment. Yes, we had intended to do exactly what Franklin said, but it was all subtext, an unspoken agreement. That was the problem. Unspoken agreements are nebulous enough to allow doubt, and I could neither confirm nor deny that Owen and I were still partners, per se. I was pretty sure that we _were_ , but also, he had been treating me like a pet as of late- which, fair enough, I _was_ a dinosaur- but also, that wasn't exactly in balance with the whole . . . _romance_ thing. It wasn't like I expected him to say, "Hello, Claire. We are boyfriend and girlfriend, officially," but _some_ explicit discussion would be nice. I had worked my way up to kissing him on the mouth again- which sounded weird when I ran it over in my head- but I just assumed that becoming a dinosaur meant we would have to establish new boundaries. What if the _real_ reason I feared intimacy was because our relationship was so ambiguous? . . .

. . . No, it was definitely the fact that I had a beak and horns.

But also, I wasn't too happy with how vague our situation seemed to be. I was pretty sure that he was still _interested_ in a serious relationship, at least, but where _were_ we on that spectrum, currently? Going by a common analogy, we had made it to third base, only to discover that the field had been paved over and converted into a basketball court. What were the rules, now that I was a dinosaur?

Also, oh god, I was a _dinosaur_ now.

I hadn't thought about what this meant, aside from the whole murder-urge angle, but my body was an absolute train wreck, and I wasn't even sure that Owen was still attracted to me. I mean, he might only be offering scraps of affection in the hope that it would tide me over until I was human again, but how far were we allowed to go while I was still a dinosaur?

How far would he even _want_ to go?

Looking down at my body, I suddenly wanted to vomit. Why was I still flirting with Owen when I was the size and shape of a hippo? Had I been making him uncomfortable this whole time? Was he just too polite to say anything? I was pretty sure I'd smelled attraction on him a couple of times, but he could have been imagining me as a human, or else focusing on what was left of my usual personality.

Oh, god.

And then there was that time he called me "Blue" by accident during training.

"Claire? . . . You okay? . . ." Zia asked.

I gulped.

"I . . . I think I've been coercing Owen into bestiality."

"Um . . . it happens to the best of us? . . ." she joked, shrugging awkwardly.

The three of us screamed as Moonwatcher dropped down from the tree above us.

" _Actually_ , since you're a sentient being, it doesn't count as bestiality. That being said, I advise you to take it slow with Owen. Have you seen any of the _Saw_ movies?"

I pulled my head back.

"What does _that_ have to do with-"

"You know how there's that one trap where you bleed into a cup to get through it? Like, it won't release you until you've filled it up with a certain amount of fluid?"

"I have NO idea what you're talking about. And what the _hell_ does this have to do with-"

"Don't have sex with Owen."

After a pause, I covered my mouth with horror. Moonwatcher gave a little salute and skipped away.

"Stay safe!"

Zia watched her leave, then turned back to me.

"I know I shouldn't be saying this, but that's pretty metal."

I cringed.

"Oh my god . . ."

Zia patted my head.

"Don't worry, Claire. There are TONS of weird couples on this island. I'm sure they'll find a way to make you compatible with Owen."

"I don't _want_ \- Wait, no, I . . ."

I sighed.

"Forget it."

Zia shrugged helplessly.

"It's up to you."

I groaned, falling onto my side.

"Why is everything so _weird_? . . . Oh, Zia, I heard that women can get other women pregnant here!"

She smiled.

"Maybe it's not so different from _our_ world after all . . ."

I blinked.

"What?"

She chuckled.

"Oh, Claire. Sweet, naïve Claire. We're going to have a talk someday. For now, let's get you home."

I gave Franklin a questioning look, but he seemed about as lost as _I_ was.

Maybe it was just a Zia thing.

***TSJWFKFEW***

I don't know the true significance of dreams, but one theory suggests that they allow us to make sense of our day. That may very well be true, because I tend to bring those experiences with me whenever I enter Dreamland.

What I'm getting at is that I had a very intimate fantasy about Owen that night.

I won't go into all the dirty details, but it started off very nice, until my usual bloodlust tainted the story with some very unhealthy imagery, and I woke up feeling like I needed to take a shower. Partly, anyway. The other half of me was still kind of turned on, in a horrific, not-at-all-normal way.

But these feelings subsided when I noticed Eli twitching beside me. Whatever _he_ was dreaming about, it was _at least_ as troubling as my own fantasy. I lay back down, somewhat pleased that he wasn't getting a good night's sleep either, but soon, I found myself adopting the same look of distress that contorted his face. Call it empathy, I suppose, but I wasn't enjoying the spectacle of his pain, and this is coming from _me_ , remember. His snout slid from side to side, and he scrunched up his eyes as he muttered something under his breath. For once, his sneer of anger had been replaced with a concerned frown, to the point where he almost looked _afraid_. I'm not sure I preferred this to how he usually presented himself. Gradually, he grew still, but after a moment, he tensed up, shaking even more noticeably than before. Suddenly, he bolted upright with a loud gasp, eyes wide and frantic. My first instinct was to shut my eyes and pretend to be asleep, but I'm not sure he would have noticed me anyway. He stared ahead with the same wide eyes, mouth parted slightly. His breathing slowed, and he finally slipped out of his trance, resting his chin on the ground.

I'm not sure what his nightmare was about, but I could guess. Moonwatcher had shown me footage of his death- I didn't ask where she got it, because . . . Well, it was Moonwatcher- and while it was as horrific a death as he deserved, I took no joy in watching it.

Well, okay, I took a _little_ joy in watching it, but only because I was imagining myself doing the same thing to someone else.

Wait, nevermind. That's not a good defense.

Anyway, the Indoraptor part of me was delighted by the brutal savagery he had endured (as was Moonwatcher, apparently, which was _super_ concerning . . . "There goes his leg! That's _gnarly_!" . . . Blech.), but the _Claire_ part of me believed that no living person should have to endure that kind of torment, even if that person was Eli Mills. I didn't feel _bad_ for him, per se, but I didn't think it was right that that had happened to him, if that makes any sense.

And no, I'm not going to tell Maisie what happened, and I'm _especially_ not going to tell Eli how the dinosaurs escaped.

I was ready to drift off again, but an unexpected sound caught my attention. I opened my eyes a crack to make sure I wasn't imagining things, but sure enough, Eli was shaking softly, taking short and frantic breaths that I recognized all too well. I had spent a good many nights crying myself to sleep, and I knew the sound of someone trying to hold back tears. And no tears came. Not at first, anyway. He simply bit his lip and sniffled quietly, afraid that he might wake one of us. We had been ridiculing him without mercy, and ammo like this . . . Well, it would hurt more than the regular jabs. Aside from the fact that whatever was upsetting him clearly had a deep, personal significance, he had built himself up as precisely the kind of person who would NOT be seen showing this kind of vulnerability, and if he was caught in the act, it would all be downhill from there.

So he wept in gasps that he could barely manage to hold back, sometimes scrunching his eyes shut and whimpering softly. On one such occasion, he managed to squeeze an actual _tear_ out of his eye, or at least whatever passed for tears in his vehicular body. The blue droplet cut down his cheek, and soon after, it was joined by more. When the fluid began to pour down freely, something bizarre happened. Eli's eyebrows flipped upside-down and began scraping the bags under his eyes. They were, in fact, tiny windshield wipers. I should have found this funny. Here was my greatest enemy, breaking his facade of cold composure as his plastic eyebrows squeaked back and forth across neon fluid that made him look like he was wearing runny, blue mascara . . . but I didn't so much as smile. My heart, in fact, was full of pity, and maybe even compassion. Gunnar and I had redeemed ourselves to some degree by agreeing to do whatever was necessary to make amends, but we both had something in common with Eli. The three of us were sad, lonely dinosaurs, all sinking in that goddamn bog, convinced that there was nothing to be done about it, except to admit that we were sinking, taking satisfaction in this knowledge as the muck pulled us under. After all, villainy was our nature . . . or so we thought. We adhered to this pessimistic belief by asserting our monstrosity in small acts. By banging a gavel. By snapping at a piglet. By holding onto a stolen rib like it was the only available option. And to us, it _was_. How could there be any road besides the path of least resistance? How could there be any way out of the bog, except sinking? We couldn't pull ourselves out, and we certainly weren't about to grab _each other_. And so we let ourselves sink, little by little, every time we acted on the worst parts of our nature. And yes, it was our _choice_ to do so, but to us, it seemed inevitable. Rather, we _hoped_ it was. Because if we somehow managed to walk away, to hold back, to make another choice . . . Well, that was even scarier than sinking. It would prove us wrong, and that just _wasn't_ allowed. If there was any indication that we might be _capable_ of change, that we weren't _inherently_ monstrous, then we would have to face the fact that our mistakes, our shortcomings, our failures, _everything_ that we were ashamed of . . . was our own fault, rather than the product of some insurmountable nature. And then we'd have to face the consequences of our actions, the people we hurt . . . and admit that that was on _us_. And once that realization set in, we'd have to go on living alongside our victims, knowing that no matter how many good decisions we made from this point onwards, we would be seen as monsters. Not because we _were_ monsters, but because at one point, we had _chosen_ to be.

***TSJWFKFEW***

The next day, Moonwatcher entered the lab holding something that looked an awful lot like a large jawbone.

"Hey, Claire! Check out this large jawbone!"

Ah.

She held it in front of my face.

"Sniff."

I took in the scent, scrunching up my nose in confusion.

"It smells like . . . _me_ , but _not_ me . . . and like _Owen_?"

She raised her eyebrows.

"You're pretty good at this."

I wasn't sure how that made sense. Plus, I wasn't always accurate in my assessments. The lab had a somewhat Maisie-ish smell to it, but she hadn't been in this building since the door incident.

"This jaw belonged to the original Owen," Moonwatcher explained, "For a brief period of time, he was an Indominus Rex. He got into a fight with Henry Wu, and this little baby got slapped off, beard and all."

I wasn't even going to _try_ to parse that information.

"Why did you bring it _here_?"

"It might help you recognize Owen as your alpha."

I scoffed.

"Owen is NOT my alpha."

"Dom, then?"

"What, like Dom DeLuise?"

Moonwatcher blinked.

"Well, I'm never going to get _that_ image out of my head. Listen, Claire, ever since you clawed up his face, he's been trying to figure out where he went wrong. Can't you at least _try_ to play along with his efforts?"

I batted my eyes.

" _Owen_ wasn't at fault, Moonwatcher. _I_ was the one who lashed out."

"Yeah, well, either way, he has a lot of baggage. He came to me yesterday for new ideas, and this is all I've got."

I cocked my head.

"He came to _you_?"

"Wow, rude."

I shook my head.

"No, what I meant was . . . I don't know. I just got the sense that he had things figured out. He seemed really sure of himself."

Moonwatcher snorted.

"Well, that's obviously a front to conceal his secret fear that he's failing you. I'm not sure what happened yesterday, but you really got him spooked."

I sighed.

"Well, I made a bad decision, and-"

"He was really upset when he came a-knocking. Wouldn't shut up about how he'd really blown it, how he was fucking things up . . . 'I just wanted her to feel like I had things under control,' he said, 'But I think I really hurt her, and now I don't know how to make things right.' And then he went into a long, boring tangent about how he was afraid that this wasn't the first time he'd sent you away crying-"

"He saw me _crying_?!"

"Oh, yes. He was going to bring you a cellphone for pick up and drop off planning, but I think he smartened up and realized that he was being an abusive little shit, and abandoned that idea."

Oh, Owen . . .

"He's toying with the idea of letting you be alone with Maisie, but he also doesn't want to go back on his decision, since it would undermine his authority or whatever, but if you ask me, asserting his dominance was what got him into trouble in the _first_ place . . ."

I was suddenly beginning to understand a lot of things. It was like someone had shone a spotlight into the abyss. And holy hell, it was _Moonwatcher_ helping me, of all people . . .

"I mean, literally all he does is try to act like he's your big, strong protector, but he should _know_ by now that you don't _need_ that, and it's actively putting a strain on your relationship. He really needs to back off a little and stop trying to impress you."

My breath was caught in my throat.

"Owen's just as scared as _I_ am."

Moonwatcher glowered at me.

"Yeah. Obviously. Did you seriously not _know_ that? I'm pretty sure he's said so explicitly. I can check the text, if you-"

"I want to see him."

"You haven't even had breakf-"

"I want to find him and hold him in my arms and tell him that I love him."

"Jesus, you're needy."

"I need to make things right with him. No more half-truths. No more unclear boundaries."

"Yeah, alright, just don't go playing 'hide the sausage', because it might end up in a meat-grinder, if you know what I'm-"

I tapped the keypad and shot out the door, leaving Moonwatcher behind.

"YOU GUESSED THE PASSWORD _AGAIN_?!" she barked.

"It was the same one, but backwards!" I called over my shoulder.

Moonwatcher cursed under her breath as I bounded down the hall, heading towards the love of my life.

***TSJWFKFEW***

On my way out of the lab, I bumped into Zia, who was bouncing up and down with excitement.

"Claire, guess what?!"

"Zia, I'm kind of in the m-"

"I HAVE ELECTRIC POWERS!"

That made me screech to a halt.

"Electric powers?" I asked with interest.

She nodded, biting her beak with glee.

"Mhm. I discovered them last night. Wanna see?"

I didn't particularly want to. I had . . . kind of a _thing_ with electricity.

"Maybe some other time."

Seeing the look of disappointment on her face, I changed my mind.

"Alright, but make it quick."

She stepped back and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were glowing. Her hair began to bristle, and yellow freckles spread across her face. As she crackled with static, her hair straightened into a bizarre lightning rod. I marvelled at this unexpected development, but snapped out of my reverie when someone called my name.

"CLAIRE!"

Thunderous footsteps shook the earth around me. Without warning, Gunnar leapt through the air and tackled Zia to the ground.

"Hey!"

I watched in horror as he head-butted her aggressively, clenching his teeth because of the bolts frying his scales.

"Get away from her, you-"

 _BAM!_

They fell apart, both smoking. Gunnar stumbled to his feet, swaying dizzily.

"You leave my friend alone! . . . Both of you . . ."

His eyes were crossed. I held him up as he toppled forward.

"Gunnar, what are you _doing_?"

"Saving you from the shark-lady . . . Why?"

I bit my lower beak.

"Oh, Gunnar. This is my friend, Zia. She was just showing me her electric powers."

His eye twitched.

"Oh. So you're not in danger?"

Zia coughed, hair still fizzling.

"Not from _me_."

She began licking a cut on her wrist. Gunnar covered his front horn, which was stained red.

"Oh, no . . ."

I gulped.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding."

Gunnar shook his head quickly.

"I messed up, I messed up . . . I should have stayed in my meadow . . ."

"Why _are_ you here?" I asked, "Is everything okay?"

"I-I was thinking about what you said, and I thought I'd go looking for Moonwatcher-"

He choked.

"Nevermind. It's too late."

He turned to run, but I caught him just in time.

"Hey, hey, hey. Don't go. You made a mistake, that's all. We understand."

He went limp in my arms, hanging like a cat. I turned him around so that he was facing Zia. She frowned.

"Hi."

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I thought Claire was in danger."

After a pause, Zia shrugged.

"I probably did more damage, anyway. You look pretty fried up."

He hummed. Zia slapped his shoulder.

"Honest mistake. All is forgiven."

He lifted his head a little.

"Really? . . ."

"Mhm. I don't blame you for trying to protect Claire. She's pretty cool."

His mouth hung open.

"That, she is."

I set him down in the grass.

"Hey, Gunnar."

"Yeah?"

"You didn't run away."

"No, I didn't."

"And you called me a friend."

He narrowed his eyes.

"It's short for 'friendly acquaintance'."

Zia laughed.

"You're really weird. But you have good taste in friends, so I think we'll get along just fine."

She held out her paw, which he shook, after a pause.

"I'm Gunnar."

"Zia. You live around these parts?"

He shot a smile in my direction.

"Actually, I was thinking of moving in."

My heart glowed with pride and hope, seeing them getting along like that. I can't tell you how it felt, but if you've been paying attention, you might understand how much it meant to me. And _what_ it meant _for_ me. I suddenly found the confidence to believe that things could get better, that _I would_ get better. Hard as it is to pull yourself out of the bog, as long as you have friends, you never have to worry about getting stuck for too long.

My joy increased tenfold when I saw Owen jogging towards me. Without skipping a beat, I dashed forward and flung my arms around him, lifting him off the ground in a warm embrace.

"Owen!"

"Claire, what's going on?" he mumbled through my arm.

"Owen, I just wanted to say that I love you."

"I love you too, Claire. What's this about?"

I nuzzled his hair.

"I want to be completely and totally honest with you. No more ambiguity. No more bog."

"Bog?"

"I want the truth, and nothing in between."

He frowned with puzzlement.

"Okay? Sure?"

I set him down and took a deep breath.

"Are we boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"No."

Do you know what it's like to feel the world stop turning, to have everything you think you know shatter into a billion pieces? _I_ do. It's a rare experience that I've only felt a handful of times. I felt it when my sixth grade music teacher died in a car crash. I felt it on September Eleventh. I felt it when the Indominus escaped, but I felt it even more when Owen uttered that single word. I tried to make sense of it. Surely, he was leading up to something like, "No, we're _so_ much more . . ." or "No, but I _want_ to be." Hell, I'd even take, "No, because after today, you'll be my _fiancée_."

But that's not what I got.

"We're not really in a good place right now. It's not responsible to put that kind of label on what we have going between us. I mean, you _are_ a dinosaur."

And then the agony set in. I couldn't stop the tears from trickling down my cheeks. Owen looked up at me with worry.

"I thought you knew . . ."

I whipped around and sprinted towards the lab. Owen called after me, but his words were wasted. My ears were ringing. I couldn't even hear myself sobbing, though I could tell that I was crying fiercely, based on my blurred vision.

I finally made it back to the lab. I burst through the doors, and wasting no time, locked myself in my cage before collapsing to the floor and curling up in a ball. Eli, who had been drinking his morning gasoline, watched the whole thing with surprise.

"Claire? . . ."

I was sobbing loudly, but I didn't care. Everything was over for me. If there had been a bridge nearby, I would have flung myself over the railing.

"Claire, are you okay?"

I didn't answer. Eventually, he lost interest in me, turning away awkwardly. I barely noticed.

I thought I was free from the bog, but that was the day I started to drown.


	6. Roben's Unusually Moist Cat

Breakups are hard. There's no two ways about it. I don't know if you could call what happened between me and Owen a _breakup_ , exactly, but it sure _felt_ like one. I may be alone in this sentiment, but in addition to the sting of rejection (and by "sting", I mean "dagger through my heart"), I have this thing where I hate myself for ever getting emotionally attached to someone in the first place, like being hurt by them was somehow MY fault for trusting them. Maybe it's a little victim-blamey, but I can't help it. It's just so frustrating knowing that someone is able to hurt me, that they have that CONTROL over my emotions. And all the red flags I was suddenly seeing in retrospect only made things worse. Owen was a dumpster fire of a human being, and I hated myself for ever seeing him as a desirable prospect. Worse still, I despised my fragile heart for STILL wanting him. We hadn't seen each other since the big tiff, but he had sent me several "apology" cards, including today's package, which included a bouquet of flowers. Mostly, he wrote things like "Can we talk?" or "I want to make things right," which _barely_ counted as an attempt to make amends, if that was even the intent _at all_. For all I knew, the requested "talk" would be an elaboration on his previous points, which would only end up making me feel worse.

So why was my first instinct to go running back to him?

I guess we all have our toxic habits, and we shouldn't be blamed when we're on the receiving end of emotional abuse. But I really, _really_ hated myself for loving him, for letting him hurt me over and over again. Owen wouldn't change. Maybe he _couldn't_ change. I don't really know what his deal was, but every time things started going right for us, he'd end up breaking my heart again. That was on _him_ , obviously, but still, I vowed that this time I would learn my lesson. If Owen _really_ loved me, he'd have made an effort to _show_ it, instead of clinging to his arrogant habits, which were already outdated by the Dark Ages. It was never the board shorts or tequila that bothered me, but the _principle_ of it all. It wasn't that Owen looked _scruffy_ , it was that he hadn't made an effort to present himself properly for me. It wasn't that he offered me tequila, it was that he refused to respect my wishes when I repeatedly declined. And you know, for someone who never bothered to change his clothes or honor his date's diet, he sure seemed to have a problem with dating someone who was covered in scales, and who had the delicate figure of a walrus.

Not that I disagreed with his taste, mind you.

Yeah, I don't want to say that Moonwatcher was right about the eating disorder thing, because I wasn't _quite_ there yet, but I was definitely having some _problems_ with body-image. But that was fair, right? I mean, there's a world of difference between feeding into BMI-related delusions and literally waking up as a four-thousand-pound dinosaur every day. But it wasn't _just_ the weight, if I'm being honest. Mostly, I was just upset that no one would ever love me like this.

 _Especially_ not Owen.

I flung his bouquet through the bars of my cage, sitting with my tail curled around my knees, sobbing quietly.

"Claire, forget about him."

I growled.

"Shut up, Eli! I know you don't care about my feelings!"

He nodded.

"Correct, but here's the thing: I am really, _really_ sick of hearing about them all the time. Can't you just get over it?"

This was the point where I could shut him down by bringing up his nightly emotional breakdowns, but I had integrity, first of all, and second, I was too upset to be mean.

"Leave me alone, Eli."

"Is this going to continue for much longer? I'm not sure I can-"

"SHUT UP!"

He snorted.

"Look, just get back together with him or don't. There's no need to get emotional."

"I'm NEVER getting back together with Owen," I sniffled.

"Why not? You two are so much alike."

"How?"

"Well, I can't stand either of you, first of all . . ."

I snarled and turned away.

"Also, you're both terrible people."

I didn't reply.

"And that's not even getting into how toxic you two are . . ."

When I refused to acknowledge him, he gave up.

"God, I wish you were this quiet all the t-"

He jumped as Moonwatcher burst through the doors, carrying a pile of clothing that I recognized immediately.

"Hey, Claire! I brought some of your old stuff over, just in case we need to design you something that fits your style. We can't retrieve what you were wearing when you changed, unfortunately, because it's kind of . . . stuck inside of you, only not in a _literal_ sense . . . it's gone until you change back, is what I'm saying."

I nodded. She slid the laundry into my cage and put her hands behind her back.

"Pick out a few items so we can get a sense of your taste. If you want to stay naked, that's fine too, but it might help to . . . uh . . ."

My face was buried in the fabric. I inhaled deeply, taking in the smell of Human Claire. I never thought I'd miss my own smell, but then again, I never thought I'd miss a LOT of things.

It was just one more reminder that the monster I had become was no longer Claire Dearing.

***TSJWFKFEW***

The next day, I awoke to the sound of a miserable groan. I rolled over and saw Eli lying on his side, eyes glazed over with pain. He was so pale that his scales were almost pink, and his ribs were showing through his side. His mouth hung open, tongue stretching out as he bellowed in agony. I sat up quickly and grabbed the bars of my cage.

"Eli? . . . Eli!"

His eyes wandered over to me, but didn't quite focus on where I was standing. His head dropped, and he closed his eyes, wincing through severe nausea.

"Agh . . ."

"Eli, are you sick?"

He very clearly _was_ , but instead of a sarcastic quip, he stammered a single request.

"G-get help . . ."

I unlocked my cage and darted out of the lab. As much as I hated Eli, I knew that his situation was dire, and that he needed medical attention immediately. There was no way he was faking it, either. He looked downright miserable. Luckily for me, I found someone who could help. When I came back with Franklin riding on my back, Eli seemed even more confused.

"He can help you. You're part machine, right?"

He didn't have the strength to argue. I opened his cage (the code was 5129), and he didn't even _try_ to make a break for it. He could barely move, unless you count the sudden tremors he was exhibiting.

"Oh, no . . . Oh, no . . ."

Franklin hadn't stepped into the cage with me. I grabbed him by the collar and dragged him inside.

"This man needs help!"

Franklin practically hung from the bars.

"I'm not a doctor, and _that's_ not a man!"

I yanked him down.

"Fix him!"

"I thought you _hated_ him!"

"I _do_ , but he could _die_ if he doesn't get help soon."

"SO CALL AN AMBULANCE!"

I shook him.

"Franklin. He's going to DIE."

He looked down at Eli, who met his gaze with an equal amount of terror. Franklin gulped and shuffled towards him.

"I-I'm not a mechanic. I don't know how to fix him, and even if I _did_ , I can't get to any of his-"

Suddenly, Eli's side popped open, much like a car door. What lay beneath was a tangle of tubes and organs, plus a few trails of wire. It was repulsive and magnificent, and it nearly made Franklin faint. I turned away and hopped out of the cage.

"Do what you can."

"Where are _you_ going?"

"To get more help."

"You're just gonna _leave_ me here?!"

"I can't look at his insides. It makes me violent."

(I shouldn't have admitted that. I could have ripped him apart and said I was just trying to help.)

I clutched my head, fighting the urge to turn back. Luckily, Moonwatcher dashed into the room at that very moment.

"Move! Let me see Eli!"

How did she know that he was in danger? . . .

Eli lifted his head.

"Moonwatcher . . ." he rasped, "Need . . . to talk . . . alone . . ."

She pushed Franklin aside.

"Take Claire outside."

"What about _me_?" Wheatley yapped, "Do _I_ get to-"

Three darts to the neck answered his question. Moonwatcher pointed to the door.

"Out. Now."

I turned to leave, but stopped when I saw an orange cat standing at my feet. It meowed.

"Uh . . ."

Moonwatcher slammed Eli's side-door shut and did a double-take, gawking at the cat.

"What the hell? . . ."

I narrowed my eyes.

"Wait, that looks like Roben's cat . . ."

Moonwatcher's lips tightened.

"Did you say 'Roben'? . . ."

"Yeah, Roben Smeth. She was an employee at Jurassic World. She went missing-"

"Around the time you got an allosaurus exhibit, right?"

I batted my eyes.

"Yes! How did you-"

"I think she got sniped."

"Sn-"

"Look, we'll discuss this later. Go. Take the cat with you."

I handed the feline to Franklin as we marched out the door.

"Take this to your hotel room."

He curled his lips.

"Ew, it's wet!"

I snarled.

"Franklin!"

He flinched.

"O-okay. Fine. I'm going."

We parted ways once outside, and my heart quivered with guilt. I had just lashed out multiple times at one of my best friends, specifically the one who was the _least_ equipped to handle my outbursts. I should be _better_ than this, even under pressure. What was _wrong_ with me?

"Excuse me, miss!"

My eyes widened as a small velociraptor waddled towards me.

"Would you be interested in signing my petition requesting that the Toronto Raptors change their name?"

"No, thank you," I said distantly, sidestepping him.

He pursued me as I jogged away hurriedly.

"Please reconsider. Their mascot is a deeply offensive caricature, and it has no place in a dinosaur-integrated society."

"Look, I really don't want to-"

"You're gonna be on the wrong side of history, miss. It's 2075."

I tensed up.

"2075? . . ."

"Of course."

I dug my toes into the ground.

"Oh, forget it! I'm sick and tired of this ridiculous island! This whole world is just a bunch of nonsense piled up on a base of . . . MORE NONSENSE!"

He blinked with transparent eyelids.

"Where have _you_ been for the past century?"

"IN THE _REAL_ WORLD, WHERE RAPTORS DON'T TALK AND LIFE MAKES SENSE!"

His feathers bristled.

"Oh . . . So you're one of _those_ dinosaurs . . ."

I growled menacingly.

"I'm not a dinosaur."

As I turned to leave, I found myself stepping into empty air. I had been standing at the perimeter of a construction site, it seemed, and I had made the mistake of- Well, you know.

As soon as I felt myself falling, my deeper instincts kicked in. My plates fluttered at full force, and I once again sprouted a pair of bat wings. I shot upwards, losing control at the vertex of my parabola and promptly plummeting into a sharp nosedive. I crashed at the entrance to the underground lab, right in front of an unfazed Moonwatcher.

"I was JUST coming up to find you. I guess we'd better get this bat stuff figured out, huh?"

All I could do was groan.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Long story short, Moonwatcher had somehow solved Eli's problem and tracked down someone who could help me with my bat situation. I would have been ecstatic if she had walked me through _any_ of this, but being Moonwatcher, she just up and warped me into another world, where we met our chauffeur. By this point, I was already sick of random, unexplained occurrences, but I now found myself in some magical fantasy realm where giant, neon animals were basically gods, and nothing made _any_ sense- EVEN _MORE_ NOW.

Regardless, I soldiered on. Moonwatcher's contact seemed to be an old friend of the dragon from which Moonwatcher was extracted (I don't get it either. I imagine she was cloned as a human or something, but who knows?). This person seemed to be a recluse librarian who lived on a remote island that housed ancient texts. She specialized in the study of bats, which was relevant to our cause, obviously. And this brings me back to our ride.

I want you to imagine sitting on the back of a giant dolphin.

Now I want you to imagine sitting on the back of a giant seahorse.

Now I want you to imagine sitting on the back of a giant, orange, dolphin-seahorse hybrid who was _far_ too keen to travel at mind-bending speeds.

It was NOT a pleasant ride.

"MoonwatchertellsmeyouareanalternateversionofQueenClairefromanotherdimensionisthattrue?"

I blinked.

"Uh . . ."

"InevermetQueenClairebutsheseemedlikeagoodrulereventhoughshedidn'tcomefromAsterparanotthatitmakesanydifferencebecauseasmygrandmotheralwayssaysyouaremorethanthelocationwhereyourfathersneezedyououthahaha."

I nodded slowly.

"AnywaymynameisJoshandifyoueverneedmetotakeyousomewheredonothesitatetoaskexceptIcanonlytravelacrosswaterorelseIwillgetbeachedanddieahorribledeathohlookwehavearrived."

He bucked me and Moonwatcher off his back. I ended up with a mouthful of sand, but Moonwatcher knew to tuck and roll. She didn't think to warn me, of course.

"We'll be back in a few hours," she stated, brushing herself off delicately, "Until then, be free, weird dolphin-seahorse guy!"

He frowned.

"GoshIreallymissElkaydoyouhaveanyideawhensheiscomingbackbecauseIamnotsureIlikeyouallthatm-"

"Bye!"

I gave the persimmon porpoise an awkward salute and followed Moonwatcher up a steep hill that led to a tall, marble edifice. The pathway was paved with opalescent stones, which I scuffed up a great deal with those awful claws of mine. When we reached the top, I saw an orange speck zipping in circles around the island, and realized that our transport had been travelling comparatively slow while we were aboard.

Jesus Christ.

We entered the library, which was mostly dark, save a few sunbeams that made the air glimmer with dust. There was a peculiar smell to the building, though I couldn't quite place it. My sniffing was interrupted by a sudden misstep, caused by a trail of slime. The floor was painted with some kind of slippery substance, which stuck to my feet in strings. I stuck out my tongue.

"Hey, Moonwatcher. Watch where you step."

"I know."

Great. Yet another bit of information she could have shared with me ahead of time.

"Jennifer! . . . Jen? . . . Are you home? . . ."

I sighed as Moonwatcher trotted across the library, cupping her hands around her mouth and calling our mysterious bat-expert. Deciding that she had the situation under control, I leaned against a large paperweight to wipe the slime off my feet.

It moved.

I stumbled away from the object with a frightened yelp. From the conical swirl emerged two antennae, which glowed green at the tips. They swivelled back and forth like limp periscopes, then were joined by a face and a tail.

"Hello."

I was petrified, but Moonwatcher, as per usual, was not fazed.

"Jen, hi! I didn't see you there!"

Oh, of fucking course.

The snail smiled, tucking a lock of hair behind her antenna shyly.

"Hello . . . Moonwatcher . . . I . . . didn't . . . expect . . . to . . . meet . . . you . . . this . . . early."

Oh, no.

"I . . . was . . . reading . . . a . . . lovely . . . book . . . and . . . must . . . have . . . fallen . . . asleep."

Moonwatcher raised her eyebrows.

"Is that so? Elkay _did_ tell me how much you love to read."

"Oh . . . yes . . . I . . . very . . . much . . . enjoy . . . reading . . . books."

"And _I_ very much enjoy _writing_ them."

"Ha . . . ha . . . ha . . . So . . . I've . . . been . . . told."

I think my eye was twitching by this point.

"So . . . Moonwatcher . . . I . . . heard . . . you . . . were . . . looking . . . for . . . an . . . expert . . . on . . . Asterparan . . . bats."

"I certainly am! Claire, a little demonstration, if you please? . . ."

I spread my arms, turning them into wings. The snail's eyes went wide as she slunk towards me, running her bean-like hands over my frame.

"There's . . . no . . . doubt . . . about . . . it . . . She's . . . definitely . . . part . . . bat."

I nodded rapidly.

"Can you tell me how I _got_ this way . . . preferably in five words or less? . . ."

Jen pursed her snail-lips.

"I . . . have . . . no . . . idea . . . The . . . last . . . bat . . . sighting . . . was . . . thirty . . . seven . . . years . . . ago."

"That's-"

"In . . . your . . . world's . . . years . . . that . . . is."

"Ah. So-"

"I'm . . . afraid . . . I . . . can . . . only . . . provide . . . you . . . with . . . an . . . incomplete . . . portrait . . . of . . . what . . . these . . . magnificent . . . animals-"

Okay, for the sake of time, I'm just going to sum up what she told us.

A long time ago, a race of giant bats used to live on Asterpara's smallest moon. They fed on Moon Cactus and made the sky bright with their hearts, which hummed at a frequency that set Moonrock aglow. This disturbed the Tigers, whose eyes were sensitive to the nighttime aura. One tiger decided to do something about this, and basically exterminated the bats in the what must have been the weirdest genocide ever. After that, the moon stopped glowing, though it still reflected the light of the sun. A few bats fled during the slaughter, but most were hunted down and killed by an elite squad of hyenadogs. And here's the _real_ kicker. The hyenadogs were hired by the dragon Moonwatcher _came from._ She sought out their service in an attempt to impress the tiger.

"But . . . she . . . realized . . . that . . . she . . . had . . . made . . . a . . . big . . . mistake . . . soon . . . after . . ." Jen finished, "She . . . was . . . young . . . and . . . reckless . . . but . . . she . . . since . . . has . . . become . . . a . . . well . . . adjusted . . . person."

"Actually, she abandoned us all in our time of need," Moonwatcher corrected, "But that's okay, because _I_ have everything under control. I'm ten times as responsible as _she_ was, and I'm not even a dragon!"

"That's . . . still . . . not . . . very . . . responsible . . . Anyway . . . I've . . . spent . . . my . . . entire . . . life . . . trying . . . to . . . save . . . the . . . few . . . remaining . . . bats . . . but . . . the . . . last . . . two . . . vanished . . . without . . . a . . . trace."

"Could one of them have been related to Claire?" Moonwatcher asked.

"I . . . doubt . . . it . . . Bats . . . take . . . good . . . care . . . of . . . their . . . offspring . . . and . . . they . . . know . . . better . . . than . . . to . . . keep . . . secrets."

"Ah. Well, there goes our lead."

"It . . . is . . . said . . . however . . . that-"

Okay, let me summarize again.

It is said that a bat's urge to form a colony is so great that they'd travel large distances to find their kin. If any bats are still alive, they'd be instinctually drawn to the moon, where they belong. But they cannot return so long as they are being hunted by the tiger and the hyenadogs, of course. And this might be a problem, because the Moon Cacti will eventually overpopulate, causing the moon to crumble.

"Your world is so strange to me," I admitted, "It seems like your political system is totally screwed, what with all these kings and queens and prophecies about a hundred years of darkness, or whatever."

"What's worse is a four year cycle of determining whether you want to be fucked or slightly _less_ fucked, but I guess that seems normal to you, right, Claire?"

Touché.

"Bats . . . are . . . vital . . . to . . . the . . . small . . . moon's . . . ecosystem . . . but . . . even . . . if . . . they . . . weren't . . . their . . . lives . . . are . . . worth . . . saving."

"Is it true that their neck-fur tastes like marzipan cotton candy?" Moonwatcher asked.

"Yes . . . and . . . their . . . droppings . . . are . . . like . . . giant . . . Skittles."

"I think you mean a non-trademarked circular candy," Moonwatcher corrected, eyes darting back and forth.

She leaned close to me.

"We haven't bought out Wrigley yet," she whispered, "But once we get the rights to their product, we'll be able to use their names in our stories. I'm sure we'll write something cool. It will be amazing and definitely not an embarrassing mistake on our part."

I nodded. What the fuck else was I _supposed_ to do?

"They . . . also . . . bleed . . . orange . . . which . . . when . . . frozen . . . tastes . . . like . . . creamy . . . orangesicles."

"Are these bats made of candy?" I grumbled.

"Their . . . mucus . . . is . . . clear . . . and . . . filled . . . with . . . glitter-"

"And it tastes like sugar, right?" I snarked.

"No . . . it . . . has . . . no . . . taste . . . but . . . it . . . cures . . . AIDS."

I raised my eyebrows. Moonwatcher elbowed me jokingly.

"I'll bet Eli would _kill_ to get some of that snot."

"Why's that?"

Moonwatcher blinked.

"Because he has AIDS, Claire."

My jaw dropped.

"You're _kidding_ , right? . . ."

Her eyes went wide.

"Oh, fuck! I forgot you weren't there when he asked for his medication."

She shook her fist at the sky.

"DAMN YOU, THEORY OF MIND!"

I was aghast. My mind was on fire after bearing witness to this shocking revelation. I hadn't personally known anyone with AIDS, to the best of my knowledge, but having participated in a blood drive, I knew a great deal about how the world treated people who were even _suspected_ of being HIV positive. And that was just the stigma. The _actual_ disease must be _miles_ worse.

"Oh my god . . ."

Moonwatcher stared straight into my eyes.

"Claire, Eli can't know that I told you he has AIDS and is bisexual."

I choked.

"Well, I didn't know that _last_ part until you-"

"Claire, just promise me you won't tell him. I need him to trust me if I'm going to get anywhere with his therapy."

What the hell was I supposed to do with this information? Nothing, _that's_ what. It was none of my business, and Moonwatcher's little slip-up didn't change that fact one iota. But holy shit. What a bombshell.

"I . . . don't . . . know . . . what's . . . going . . . on . . . but-"

"It's okay, Jen," Moonwatcher gulped, "Tell us more about the bats. That's what we're here for."

"Alright . . . Follow . . . me . . . to . . . my . . . office."

She turned around slowly- _so damn slowly_ \- and inched towards a dark room. When I tried to push her forward, Moonwatcher shook her head and held me back. A few minutes later, we entered Jen's office. She squeezed her eyes shut, and her antennae glowed once more, along with the swirl on her shell. The green light illuminated a series of bookshelves.

"There . . . might . . . be . . . information . . . about . . . Claire's . . . condition . . . in-"

"Here?" I finished.

". . . these . . . books."

"Mmm."

"Hand . . . me . . . that . . . one . . . over-"

As soon as she pointed, I zipped over and plopped the book in front of her. She smiled and crawled onto the first page.

"Thank . . . you . . . Claire."

She cleared her throat, coughing into her nub-hand.

"Evolution . . . has . . . created . . . an . . . astounding . . . number . . . of . . . various . . . creatures."

She looked up slowly.

"Let . . . me . . . know . . . if . . . I'm . . . reading . . . too . . . fast."

I clenched my jaw.

"Not . . . one . . . however . . . deserves . . . the-"

I yanked the book out from under her, only to discover that she was stuck to it.

"Let me read."

"Claire . . . you . . . don't . . . have . . . to-"

I pulled her away from the page, but it tore under the force of her suction. She gasped very slowly.

"Oh . . . no . . . That . . . was . . . an . . . original . . . copy!"

I bit my beak.

"I'm sorry, it's just-"

"Maybe you should let _me_ handle this," Moonwatcher suggested, "Why don't you go home to your friends?"

I hung my head in shame.

"I'm sorry."

Moonwatcher nodded to the door. Jen clutched the torn page between her hands and sighed.

"If . . . you . . . see . . . Josh . . . tell . . . him . . . I . . . said . . . hello . . . He . . . can't . . . come . . . up . . . here . . . on . . . account . . . of . . . his . . . blubber."

"What if I take you down to the beach?" I offered.

She shook her head back . . . and forth . . . and back . . . and forth.

FUCK, now she has _me_ doing it.

"Salt . . . water . . . doesn't . . . agree . . . with . . . snails."

I gulped and turned away.

"Okay. I'm sorry for ruining your book."

"That's . . . okay . . . it . . . was . . . an . . . honest . . . mistake."

By the time she finished her sentence, I was already through the door.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Once I was through the portal, I realized that I had nothing to do. I decided to pay Franklin a visit to apologize for our little squabble, but when I knocked on the door, it was Gunnar who answered. He was wearing a white robe and pink rabbit slippers, but I was more concerned about his bloodshot eyes.

"What's going on?"

"I'm rooming with Franklin until they find me a place to stay. I didn't realize that he was going to be cat-sitting. I'm allergic."

"Oh, no . . . Do you want _me_ to take over?"

"That's sweet of you. I'm supposed to be getting ready for a charity potluck-slash-poker event, so you'd be doing me a HUGE favor."

I smiled warmly.

"Anything for a friend . . . ly acquaintance."

He sniffled.

"Thanks, Claire. You're the best."

I took the cat in my arms, and as it stretched itself out, I realized that I had made a terrible mistake. I wanted nothing more than to shove the little furball down my throat.

"He's kind of cute, isn't he?" Gunnar cooed.

"Yeah . . . I could just eat him up."

Would it be cliché to call this a cat-astrophe?

***TSJWFKFEW***

Well, it was about time that I ask for help, and who better to help me with my problem than a cat-lover and loyal friend? Of course, I had forgotten that Zia was part dog now, so inviting her over ended up increasing my stress level exponentially.

"BARK! BARK, BARK, BARK!"

I covered my ears.

"Zia, you don't HAVE to say 'bark' every time the cat walks by . . ."

"I can't _help_ it!" she whined, "My _brain_ tells me we should be getting along, but how can I trust someone whose tail doesn't wag properly?"

I groaned.

"Zia, you _love_ cats. Why can't you just channel that feline-affection-energy?"

"Well, I dunno. Why are _you_ afraid of lizards, all of a sudden? Haven't you ever heard that thing about stones and glass houses?"

"I have."

"Great, so let's get stoned."

"Zia!"

"Well, we gotta curb our instincts _somehow_. Weed fixes everything."

"Zia, I swear to god . . ."

"Ugh, fine. You know, you could stand to- BARK, BARK, BARK!"

The cat screeched as she yapped at it. It ran over to the sofa, clawing the fabric with frustration.

"Stop it! Down, kitty!" I commanded.

It paused, then continued to scratch.

"Claire, get that- BARK- cat under control!"

"Get _yourself_ under control!"

"I'm fine. I'm perfectly- BARK, BARK, BARK!"

"ZIA, SIT!"

She did, though she seemed confused as to why she had listened to me. I ignored her and focused on the cat.

"Hey, pretty baby. Your name is Nectarine, right? Do you want to be stroked?"

A harsh nip indicated that he did _not_.

"Do you miss Roben?" I cooed.

The cat started licking under one leg. I sighed.

"Well, so much for _that_ . . ."

Zia was twitching anxiously. I placed a claw on her nose.

"Stay."

She whined as I walked into the kitchen.

"Does kitty want some tuna?"

Nectarine followed me to the fridge, placing his paws on my leg.

"Someone's hung-wy, yes he is!" I gurgled.

I slid my claw along the rim of the can and popped it open. When I set it down in front of Nectarine, he sniffed it cautiously.

"Yes, that's it. Take a b-"

He batted it to the side. After a second, he yowled and clawed at my leg.

"Feed the cat, Claire!" Zia called from the other room.

"He doesn't want the tuna!"

"Then feed him something else!"

I growled, kicking the cat away gently ( _somewhat_ gently). I searched Zia's fridge. Luckily for me, it was packed with fish.

"What should I give him?"

"Not the salmon. It's expensive. Try the illegal dolphin meat."

I frowned over my shoulder. She shrugged.

"I'm part megalod- Look, just feed the cat, _okay_?"

I picked up a can with a happy-looking dolphin on the side. The label read "Genuine Catfish Meat, Definitely Not Dolphin". The certification came from "M.W. Industries". I was not the least bit surprised.

"Claire, what's _taking_ so long?"

"You know, Zia, I met someone who's part dolphin today, and I'm pretty sure he'd have something to say about this."

"God, Claire, just feed the fucking cat."

I grumbled.

"Dolphin meat is really bad for you, you know. Plus, it's wrong to kill such intelligent animals. They're so gleeful and merry . . ."

"Owen told me they fuck each other in the blowholes."

After several years in the Navy, that seemed to be his only takeaway.

"Yes, Zia, I'm well aware. Just don't blame me if you get mercury poisoning."

"Feed. The. Cat."

I bent over and clawed the can open. I made the mistake of dumping it on the tuna, however, which the cat was not happy with. Zia, on the other hand . . .

"THAT WAS FOR THE CAT!"

She licked her beak.

"Yeah, well, you snooze, you lose."

I grabbed my head, clenching my teeth.

"I can't believe I'm stuck petsitting two obnoxious animals who refuse to listen and survive off _dolphin meat_!"

Zia glared at me.

"Hey, I'm NOT an animal . . . Also, the cat didn't eat anything."

I snarled.

"Zia, you're getting on my nerves."

"Says the person who called me an _animal_!"

"Zia, _look_ at you!"

Her mouth hung open.

"Claire, that is absolutely-"

"The truth! You have a fin growing out of your back, and-"

"YOU have PLATES! We're none of us perfect, Claire!"

"I never _said_ I was better off!"

"Right, so just because _you're_ a dinosaur, that makes it okay to call me an animal?"

"You JUST ate dolphin meat!"

"AND I _LOVED_ IT!" she growled, flipping me off with both hands (or _trying_ to flip me off, since she only had four fingers).

"YEAH?! Well, I'll do you one better!"

I snapped up Nectarine. Before I could stop myself, I sucked his tail through my teeth. Zia stared at me, mouth agape.

"Claire . . . OH MY GOD!"

"Oh, no!" I gagged.

"CLAIRE, YOU ATE A CAT!"

I covered my mouth and started dancing around nervously, claws clicking on the linoleum floor.

"What do I do . . . WHAT DO I DO?!"

"SPIT IT OUT! SPIT IT OUT!"

I whimpered.

"But I already swa-"

I yelped as she slapped my back, then started choking as she wrapped her arms around my chest.

"OPEN!"

I coughed as she squeezed my torso.

"AGH!"

"AGAIN!"

I wheezed.

"HNNNGH!"

"DON'T LET IT GO DOWN!"

My eyes felt like they might pop out of my skull.

"BLARGH! URF!"

She dug her claw into my chest.

"HERE IT COMES! AAAAAAAAAH!"

My cheeks puffed out.

"BLURF!"

A wet ball of fur slipped out of my mouth. It landed on the carpet, bounced, and rolled to a gentle stop a few feet away. After a moment of silence, a pair of ears perked up from behind it, and Nectarine darted away, yowling in terror. I scraped the remaining fur off my tongue, wincing with disgust. Zia let out a sigh of relief and fell back, wiping the sweat off her forehead.

"At least _one of us_ got to eat pussy today . . ."

She stopped laughing at her own joke when I vomited fish heads into her lap. She stood up, holding her arms out with disgust.

"What the HELL?"

I coughed.

"Why'd you DO that?"

She clenched her fists.

"Because you were about to digest that poor little kitty . . ."

I roared and knocked a nearby table on its side.

"You don't _understand_ me!"

"No, I _don't_ , Claire! I thought it might do you some good to spend some time with friends, to get your mind off Owen, but you barge into my house, call me an animal, and judge me for eating seafood, which- news flash- SHARKS ARE SUPPOSED TO CONSUME!"

"YOU'RE NOT A _SHARK_ , ZIA!"

"Make up your goddamn mind! Am I an animal or not?"

I hissed.

"You're an abomination."

Her face was stoic.

"Get out."

"I'll do nothing of the s-"

"Get out of my house."

"What about-"

"I'll take care of the cat."

"By barking at it constantly?!"

"Well, at least we know it's not in danger when _I'm_ around . . ."

I glowered at her.

"Fine. Don't bother visiting tomorrow."

"Wasn't gonna."

"Good."

"Great."

I slammed the door shut. After a pause, I turned around. I was worried that I might have upset her, but instead of crying, I heard Zia talking to that goddamn cat like it was a person.

"I don't know what's _wrong_ with her, puss-puss. She's not usually _this_ much of a bitch . . ."

I turned away sourly, letting my tail spikes scrape the wall on my way out of the hotel.

***TSJWFKFEW***

"Still upset about the big break-up?"

I slammed my cage shut.

"I see you're back to your usual self . . ."

Eli smirked.

"No thanks to your friend. I'm not sure why you let him tag along on your little adventures. Seems pretty useless. But I guess that's true for the whole club."

I puffed out a breath of frustration. He grinned.

"Tell me, who'd you hurt _this_ time?"

"Fuck off, Eli."

"Just curious."

"Mind your own business."

"Fair enough. Just don't keep crying about it. I'm not sure I can handle another breakdown."

I flexed my claws and stared at him pointedly.

"Me neither."

The doors creaked open gently, and Gunnar stepped through them. He trotted up to my cage shyly.

"Hey, I heard about what happened between you and Zia. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Eli burst out laughing.

"I guess that makes it official. Claire's officially pissed off her entire team."

Ignoring him, Gunnar leaned closer to me and spoke softly.

"Would you like to attend the potluck tonight? Zia and Franklin will be there. I'm sure they'll understand if you explain that it was an honest mistake . . ."

Eli chortled.

"Is this, like, a meet-up for terrible people?"

Gunnar scowled at him.

" _You're_ not invited!"

Eli blinked.

"Um, good? . . ."

Gunnar shook his head.

"It's NOT a meet-up for t- Look, just mind your own business."

"Gladly. I used to care what you thought about me, but not anymore. It's funny how things change. I _needed_ you to carry out my plans, and you said 'no' at first . . . but I'll never forget how excited you were once we got started."

This struck a nerve with Gunnar. He was trembling lightly. I reached through the bars and touched his shoulder.

"Don't listen to him."

"Why not?" Eli grinned, "It's just the truth, right? Unless you prefer some kind of revisionist history where you _didn't_ sell off the Indoraptor . . ."

"He's just trying to get under your skin."

"Yes, I know."

Eli started driving back and forth slowly.

"I hope you apologized to Claire, by the way. Does she know that you were totally on board when I suggested we make more?"

Gunnar was looking into my eyes now. I could smell his fear. He thought he was about to lose a friend . . . his _only_ friend.

"Don't you believe a word he says," I whispered.

"It _is_ kind of your fault," Wheatley piped up from his cage, "I mean, if you had been there when I walked in-"

"He could have stopped you from leaving the fucking door open?!" I snapped.

"Comment withdrawn."

Exhaust wafted from Eli's nostrils in thin plumes.

"Can you _imagine_? . . . Dozens and dozens of Indoraptors, all funded by the auction YOU agreed to. Strange, isn't it, how they keep _me_ locked up, yet _you're_ given a free pass . . ."

"He's made an effort to change, Eli!" I barked, "You, on the other hand, remain a piece of shit!"

"I've done nothing wrong."

"You tried to kill Owen and Maisie."

"I tried to get YOU to kill Owen and Maisie, and you would have done it, too, if you hadn't fallen over that cliff."

Fuck.

"That wasn't my choice."

" _Wasn't_ it? You seemed pretty eager . . ."

"You're wrong about me, Eli."

"Is _Owen_ wrong too?"

"You're more of a monster than I'll _ever_ be!"

"You'll regret saying that after your next 'accident' . . ."

"I'm getting better!"

"Your 'friends' don't seem to think so."

"This is only temporary. I'm sick."

" _I'll_ say!"

"YOU HAVE AIDS!"

Three things.

One, that was not a very good comeback.

Two, it was a super low blow, and I'm ashamed to have said it.

Three, the timing couldn't have been worse, because Moonwatcher had just entered the room.

Eli's confident sneer faltered, but it was soon replaced by a hateful glare that he promptly directed at the new arrival. Moonwatcher dropped her chocolate bar.

"I think I left the iron on-"

"YOU _TOLD_ HER! WHY _THE FUCK_ WOULD YOU _TELL_ HER!"

Moonwatcher backed away slowly.

"Listen, it just kind of slipped out. I didn't tell her how you _got_ it or anything . . ."

He slammed his tail against the side of his cage.

"I _NEVER_ SHOULD HAVE TRUSTED YOU! YOU'RE TAKING _ADVANTAGE_ OF US ALL!"

"I'm doing _nothing_ of the sort! I'm trying to _clean up_ this mess!"

"WELL, YOU'RE DOING A PISS-POOR JOB! JUST LET US GO! END THIS RIGHT NOW!"

"No!"

"WHY NOT? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO _GAIN_ FROM THIS? THIS ISN'T RIGHT! THIS ISN'T _FAIR_!"

" _Life's_ not fair, bucko . . ."

Wheatley cleared his throat.

"I think he knows that, since he has the AIDS and all . . ."

He jumped as Eli bit down on the bars, facing him.

"STAY OUT OF THIS!"

"Sure thing, boss, but you might wanna stay out of a few things, yourself."

Eli's expression changed. The balance of power had shifted, and he was no longer on top.

. . . I didn't mean it _that_ way. Come on, I'd already made _one_ hurtful comment, and I wasn't keen to make more.

Look, just forget it, okay? My point is, my remark had taken him down a notch. His unhinged state of mind was more terrifying than his threats, in a way.

"I don't belong here . . ." he whispered, "Set me free. I WANT TO GO _HOME_!"

Moonwatcher stamped her foot.

"Eli, you DIED in your world. You don't HAVE a home, and if you don't belong _here_ , you don't belong _anywhere_."

He backed up, chest heaving. Blue droplets were starting to bunch up in the corners of his eyes.

"You _did this_ to me . . . You made me a monster . . . I don't _deserve_ this!"

He roared, and his shout ended in a honk.

"THIS IS _NOT_ WHO I AM! I'M _NOT_ A DINOSAUR! I'M _NOT_ A CAR! I'M A _HUMAN BEING_! ALL I WANTED WAS A CLEAN SLATE, BUT INSTEAD YOU TEAR ME AWAY FROM MY HOME AND TURN ME INTO A FREAK! HOW IS ANYONE SUPPOSED TO _LOVE_ ME LIKE THIS? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO HAVE A _LIFE_?"

"YOU'RE _NOT_! _NOBODY_ LOVES YOU!" Moonwatcher snarled.

He slammed his head against the bars, rocking his cage on its foundations.

"CHANGE ME BACK!"

"I CAN'T! YOU'RE PART MACHINE!"

"CHANGE! ME! BACK!"

"IT'S IMPOSSIBLE! THIS IS _FOREVER_! JUST SUCK IT UP AND _DEAL WITH IT_!"

"CHANGE ME BACK, OR SHOOT ME AND BE DONE WITH IT!"

He rammed his head into the bars again, making them buckle. He continued to slam his skull into the cage as Moonwatcher made a dash for the tranquilizer gun.

"USE _REAL_ BULLETS, YOU FUCKING COWARD! END THIS! END THIS _RIGHT NOW_!"

She shot him in the neck. He didn't stop thrashing around.

"COWARD! YOU COWARD!"

It took five darts before he finally sunk to his knees, though he continued to resist fiercely. Eventually, he lost the battle, and fell forward, blue tears streaming out of his eyelids. Moonwatcher caught her breath, dropping the gun from sweaty palms. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and smiled brightly.

"Who's up for potluck?"

***TSJWFKFEW***

I didn't go to the potluck dinner. I told Gunnar to pass on my apology to Zia and Franklin, which felt really scummy, but I just couldn't face them again. Instead, I wandered around the island, headed for nowhere in particular. Eventually, I bumped into the raptor from earlier that day. He didn't seem to be making any progress in his campaign. I gulped and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, can I sign that petition now?"

His eyes lit up. He handed me the clipboard, but when he caught a glimpse of my signature, his smile disappeared.

"Very funny."

"What?"

He tore up the paper.

"How _gullible_ do you think I am? You're not _Claire Dearing_!"

I turned away sadly.

"No, I guess not."

Eventually, I found myself trying out my wings again. It was difficult getting the hang of them, but I managed eventually. I caught sight of Owen through a lit window as I passed it, and I hung myself from a nearby tree without thinking things through. Luckily, it was able to support my weight (impressive). I folded my wings around my body, dangling upside-down. Owen was sitting at a reddish desk, scribbling something onto a notepad with the hotel's logo printed in the corner. To my surprise, my dinosaur eyes were able to focus in on the words.

 _Dear Claire,_

 _I'm sorry. I fucked up. I should have known better, but-_

After a pause, he tore the page off the notepad, crumpled it up, and tossed it into the wastebin, starting anew.

 _Dear Claire,_

 _I know you don't need my help. I should have learned my lesson by now, but-_

Another failed attempt. He took a deep breath and started a third letter.

 _Dear Claire,_

 _This is my fault. I'm trying so hard not to make excuses, but-_

Gone. This time, he glanced at an empty greeting card. He ran his fingers through his hair, then started writing on it.

 _Dear Claire,_

 _I don't deserve you. I keep messing up, and I can't even admit it to myself, much less you. If there's one good thing to come out of this, it's you never speaking to me again. You've given me so many chances already, and I never seem to learn. You'd be better off with someone else. I'm not a good man, like you said. I don't know what you ever saw in me._

After a moment, he flung the card aside and stood up, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his head. Finally, he fell backwards onto the bed with a deep sigh.

"Claire?"

I yelped as Maisie's head popped out from the neighbouring window. I lost my grip on the tree branch and fell to the ground, banging myself up a great deal.

"Oh, no! I'll get help!"

"Maisie, stop!"

It was too late. She had gone to tell Owen. After a bit of commotion, he opened his window and looked down at me.

"Oh my god!"

He disappeared along with Maisie. I struggled to roll onto my feet, but Owen was faster. He sprinted towards me as I tripped over my wings clumsily.

"Wait, Claire, don't go!"

He ran his hand down my shoulder.

"Are you hurt?"

When I tugged my wing away, he let his arm drop.

"Sorry."

Maisie came running up behind him, holding a roll of toilet paper.

"I brought bandages!"

I stumbled backwards, still aching from the fall.

"It's okay, Maisie. I'm fine. Just a little scuffed up, that's all."

She started wrapping the toilet paper around my paw as the leathery wings dissolved into my arms. Owen scratched the back of his neck, avoiding my gaze.

"So . . . What brings _you_ here?"

"I was just taking a walk."

"Oh. Have you been getting my l-"

"Yes."

"Ah."

Silence. Maisie continued to make her way up my arm, which was starting to look like a bad Halloween costume.

"I . . . I think I owe you an apology."

"For?"

"For . . . For what I said about . . ."

He touched Maisie's shoulder.

"I think she's doing better, Sweetheart. Can we have some time alone?"

Maisie nodded, tying a knot around my elbow. She gave me a hug, then scampered away.

"Should she be going back alone? . . ."

"She knows how to use a room key. Smart kid."

"Hm."

Another silence.

"Claire-"

"I know what you're going to say."

"You do?"

"Mhm. You're going to say that you were only trying to help me, that you didn't mean to hurt my feelings."

He inhaled deeply.

" _Actually_ , I was going to say that I made a huge mistake, and what I said . . . it was kind of a dick move."

"Oh. Yes, it was."

"I'm sorry. For everything. You deserve better than this."

I shook my head.

"I almost ate a cat today, Owen."

"Oh, that's no big deal . . . Zia eats dolphin meat, you know."

"I know."

These moments of silence only got more awkward with each iteration.

"Claire, there's something I want to ask you."

"How long can we keep doing this."

He lifted his head.

"Huh?"

"How long can we keep going back and forth?"

"Back and forth? . . . Well, I wouldn't exactly call it-"

"But it's what we're doing, isn't it? You love me one day, you hate me the next . . ."

He knelt in front of me, holding my cheeks.

"Claire, I _always_ love you. It's just that it's difficult to label that love. But it's always _there_."

"Sure. But it only ends up _hurting_ us, over and over again . . ."

He looked away, staring at nothing in particular. I touched his cheek.

"What did you want to ask me?"

That was a cheap trick, I know. I was perfectly aware of what he was about to ask. The fear rolling off him was intense. It was even worse than when I attacked the piglet.

"I . . . I was wondering if you . . . if you wanted to be . . ."

He put his hands in his pockets.

". . . if you wanted to go to the potluck party with me and Maisie."

He thought he had dodged a bullet, but I wasn't finished with him yet.

"Like a date, you mean?"

His fear-scent returned, even thicker, this time.

"I- Well, I guess you could _technically_ call it that, but only in the sense that-"

"Please, Owen. Just tell me how you feel. Be honest with me, even if it hurts. We can't keep fighting, then spontaneously getting back together after we make out impulsively."

"Yeah, not a great system."

I tapped my toe impatiently.

"Fine," Owen breathed, "I want us to be _more_ than good friends. It's what I've _always_ wanted, but I was concerned that I might be making a mistake. Not because of _you_ , obviously, but because I'm shit at relationships, and I always manage to screw things up. I guess my biggest mistake was holding back. It only made things worse. Being without you for the past few days made me realize that pushing you away wasn't going to bring us closer together."

"Obviously not."

"Yeah, well, I don't have very good judgment."

A pause.

"Kiss her!"

Owen wheeled around.

"Maisie, stop eavesdropping!"

He ran his fingers through his hair.

"Jesus Christ . . ."

I smiled.

"Maybe you'd better finish your thought."

He cleared his throat.

"Alright. Claire, I know we've hit a few rough patches- _my_ fault, all of them- but I don't think I can be happy without you. If I make you miserable, I'll just deal with it, obviously, but if it's not too much trouble, can we maybe get back together?"

I narrowed my eyes.

"You're not very good at pitches."

He shrugged.

"I don't have much to sell."

I pursed my beak.

"And what about the dinosaur thing?"

"We'll figure it out. Take it slow, maybe. But it's not a deal-breaker."

After a beat, he shook his head.

"That was the wrong thing to say."

"Oh, good. You're learning."

He gulped.

"Yeah, so . . . did you want to be boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"No."

His eyes went wide. I punched his arm gently.

"See how it feels? Nah, I'm just kidding. We can try for it."

He let out a sigh of relief.

"You really got me. Don't _ever_ do that again."

"I promise not to, as long as _you_ don't do it either."

"I won't."

"Good. Then we have a date."

Maisie squealed with glee and skipped around the corner.

"Hooray! Everyone's together again!"

I beamed.

"Looks like we get a happy ending after all!"

Suddenly, Moonwatcher burst out of the foliage.

"ZIA'S IN THE HOSPITAL WITH MERCURY POISONING!"

***TSJWFKFEW***

Calm down, calm down. Zia was fine. She promised to stop eating dolphin meat, after I apologized profusely to her, of course. I made amends with Franklin as well, since he was around. And just for good measure, I reassured Gunnar that he had nothing to worry about. On this wacky island, we were friends 'til the end. To top off my series of apologies, I wrote a letter to Jen, who replied with a smeared note that she had probably slimed up as she was writing. It was still legible, and very sweet. It was nice to have a new neighbour, even if she was an _interdimensional_ neighbour. The more, the merrier, as Moonwatcher would say. And speaking of, I apologized to her directly, and she replied with a veiled insult, followed by a reluctant pat on the head. Good enough. And just for good measure, I wrote a thank-you letter to Josh, the reply to which came back sooner than Jen's letter, actually. Three guesses why. In any case, the postage was rather speedy, considering we had a convenient portal set up, and once I realized this, I decided to go ahead and pay them a visit before the night was through. I carried Jen down to the beach where Josh was waiting, keeping her well above the salty waves, and bore witness to their discussion. Between the two of them, it lasted about as long as any regular conversation would. It wasn't a boring slog like I had been expecting. I had just breached the barrier between Owen and myself, after all, so the least I could do was help out someone with a similar problem. Truth be told, they were kind of cute together.

"We . . . have . . . so . . . much . . . in . . . common!"

"Yesindeedwedo!"

I kept my mouth shut.

I returned to the other world late in the night, with only one apology left on my list. I stood by Eli's cage and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry."

He didn't reply. He was still lying on his side, but he was wide awake.

"I shouldn't have said what I said. It was-"

"Get away from me," he whispered harshly.

I gulped.

"Eli, I can't tell you how deeply sorry I am that-"

He curled his head away from me sharply. Realizing that this was getting us nowhere, I gave up and returned to my cage. As I settled myself for a good, long sleep, I heard gentle weeping nearby. Eli was curled up in a ball, facing away from me. I opened my mouth, but decided against speaking.

Maybe some wounds are just too deep to heal.


	7. Henry's Upsettingly Cramped Cage

_Good evening, Mr. Mills._

Listen, there's been a mistake-

 _I'm well aware. People don't just turn into dinosaur-cars willy-nilly._

 _Exactly_! That's what I've been _saying_ , but-

 _I mean, we deal with this kind of thing all the time, but there's usually a_ reason _for it. In this case, it seems as though the Volatus Virus has evolved to the point of being able to recognize more complex situations than plain old dinosaur-killings. I'd like to obtain a better understanding of this modified strain. Would you be willing to answer a few questions?_

Can you let me out, first?

 _I'm afraid not. Until you prove yourself fit for release, we can't risk endangering captured assets within close proximity._

I'm not a _real_ dinosaur. I wouldn't _hurt anyone_ _._

 _Oh, it's not the_ dinosaur _part we're worried about. It's the whole . . ._ murder _thing._

I- I don't know what you-

 _Before you finish that thought, let me remind you that lying won't accrue any points in your favour. Trying to deceive me is not only pointless- I'm fully aware of your circumstances- but also further proof that we cannot trust you in an open environment._

Look, I didn't _want_ to kill the man, but-

 _Your motivations do not concern me, nor do they bear any relevance to the subject at hand._

I- I'm sorry, I just-

 _Again, I don't particularly care about your moral quandaries. We're here to discuss what happened after the incident at the manor._

. . . I'll tell you whatever you need to know.

 _Good. Let's begin with your death. Tell me everything you remember after that point, down to the most minute detail._

Well, I remember pain- intense pain, like I've never felt before- and being tossed around a lot . . . then for a while, nothing. I don't know when I regained consciousness, because the line between alive and dead . . . for a time, it wasn't clear. I had a vague sense that I still existed, at least in _some_ form, but it was like being put under at the dentist: time felt _different_ , and so did my presence in the world. I definitely woke up at some point, but it wasn't a jump back to awareness . . . more like a slow fade-in. When I started to process semi-lucid thoughts, I was looking up at the stars. My first thought was that I must be lying on my back in an unfamiliar place, which made sense, because people sometimes wake up and don't know where they are. Slowly, though, I realized that this was not a trick of the mind, that I actually had _no idea_ where I was, nor how I had arrived there. I was outdoors, somehow, but where specifically, I could not say. I tried to get up, but I couldn't bring myself to move. Instead, I settled on driving my thoughts into motion. I tried to retrace my steps, hoping I could discern my location from distant strands of memory. After a bit of fumbling, it hit me. The last thing I remembered was being snatched up by a dinosaur. I couldn't feel physical pain at this stage of my resurrection, but the thought rattled my mind in much the same way. Suddenly, my memories came flooding back, and a billion questions sprung to mind. Was I seriously injured? Was I _dead_? Was this what happened when your body stopped being _alive_? Was I going to be trapped in a rotting carcass for all eternity? This notion was unbearable, and I found myself hyperventilating at the thought of it. Soon, however, I realized that I was _breathing_ , which meant that I _couldn't_ be dead. I was _so relieved_. I could have wept for joy.

If I had known that those would be my last few seconds of humanity, I would have appreciated them more.

The first part of me to regain feeling was my leg. From there, it seemed like my body was slowly repairing itself, though it wasn't a pleasant sensation. I was somewhat concerned by this development, though I supposed it was better than feeling nothing at all. Maybe I wasn't hurt as badly as I thought. Maybe I could go back to living a normal life.

But then, something started changing inside of me. I'm not sure how I noticed it- just one of those instinctual things, I guess- but I could feel that something big was coming. Suddenly, my heart clenched up, twisting around like someone had reached inside of my chest and wrung it out with tight fists. A burning feeling spread out from my ribcage, moving through my veins like liquid fire. I screamed and rolled over, writhing around in the gravel. As the pain became tolerable, I pushed myself up. Pebbles pressed into my palms, but I was more concerned about what was going on inside of me. The pain was more of a stabbing sensation, now. It hit me with each heartbeat. My vision blurred, and I felt something wet pouring down my face. The rocks beneath me were speckled with blue liquid. Before I could register any of this properly, another wave of pain hit me, and I felt my guts twisting around each other, shaping into God knows what. My spine was getting longer, and my legs were growing stiff in places. My neck started aching, and when I reached up to touch it, I was surprised to feel metal under my fingertips. I suddenly got the feeling that I would be losing my hands shortly, and sure enough, my skin started to fuse with itself, filling in the gaps until I had two fingers, which were extending into claws. This was around the time I started wondering if I was in Hell. I wasn't sure _what_ I expected, but this definitely felt like demonic possession. Well, maybe not. I was still alone. I guess it felt more like a strange medical episode, or maybe a really bad trip- I was never much into drugs, but this seemed like a _nightmare_ , at the very least. I tried to stand, but my feet were changing, too. It wasn't long before I rolled forward. My face hit the ground, then after a pause, my cheek was shoved deeper into the gravel when my neck stretched out. I was screaming the whole time, and I'm pretty sure that this was the precise moment when my teeth and tongue changed- my entire skull, actually- because my jaw was aching, and it felt like I was growing horns- which I guess I _must_ have been. My ribcage was crackling less insistently, so I figured whatever damage had befallen it was coming to an end. My nostrils were forced open, and smoke started wafting up before my eyes. I somehow managed to get myself standing, though it felt like I was hunched over, compared to my usual posture. I stood still until the pain subsided, and my body ceased to contort. I didn't want to risk moving after that, but eventually, I realized that I had no choice. Whatever had happened to me was serious. I needed help. So I took a step forward, and finding a tire at the end of my leg, set it down and leaned into a gentle roll. It wasn't long before I figured out how to move. It was bizarre, this new body of mine. I don't know how to describe the feeling of travelling on wheels. It's so foreign to anything in human anatomy. But it was instinctual, to some degree, and I made use of my new skill, though it certainly made me uncomfortable.

I was already deep into the forest by the time I realized that I was going the wrong way. I considered returning to the manor, but with the Indoraptor loose, I didn't want to take any chances.

 _Even though you were twice its size?_

I wasn't thinking of myself in that way. My body had changed, but I still had the _mind_ of a human, and I was used to being wary of large predators. I cruised through the forest, wondering if I could navigate towards civilization. I had undoubtedly turned myself around in my confusion, and it was too dark to tell where I was going. As I tried to adjust my eyes to the moonlit forest, my field of vision was suddenly illuminated. After swivelling my head around, I realized that the light was coming from _me_. I decided to keep moving. After a few minutes of driving, a greyish dinosaur was caught in my headlights. I was as frightened of it as it was of me, but following a few seconds of stunned silence, it bleated in fear and ran away. It must have been one of the ones that escaped.

 _It wasn't, but go on._

I continued my search until I found myself at the border of a small town. I was so relieved to find civilization that I sped down the hill at full force, not giving the matter much thought. When I rounded the corner of a large street, I saw a woman walking down the sidewalk alone. I made my way towards her, hoping that she could direct me to a hospital. When she heard me coming, she turned around and screamed. I tried to explain that I meant her no harm, but it was too late. She had woken up half of the neighbourhood. Windows lit up on either side of me. One porch light illuminated a glass bus stop nearby, and I was finally able to see my reflection. I was so horrified by the image that I didn't associate it with myself, at first, but realizing that it was mimicking my every move, the truth dawned on me. I fled from the scene as fast as I could, knowing that it would only be a matter of time before the townspeople came after me with guns. I made my way back up the hill, and looking over my shoulder, I realized that I could never, _ever_ go back to this place, nor to any other. I was a stranger to my own world, a monster who had no way of connecting with his former peers. I had lost my humanity, and now that it was gone, I realized just how fragile my ties to society had been, how a simple change in appearance could take away everything I used to depend upon. I was overcome by dread and loneliness, and I felt like I had nowhere to go.

 _And then?_

That's when I saw _you_. I didn't know what you were doing there, but-

 _I know what happened from that point on. Thank you very much, Eli. You've been a big help._

Am I-

 _Just one more question: when you changed, did you feel yourself being overwhelmed by violent instincts?_

No. I was . . . _afraid_ , mostly.

 _Then we can assume that the PMR has been nixed._

The wh-

 _I'm going to investigate this further. Until I've gotten to the bottom of this, we're gonna have to contain you._

You said I'd get to leave if I cooperated!

 _I'm very sorry to tell you this, Eli, but answering a few questions doesn't cancel out murder. You're still on the hook for your crimes._

But-

 _And even if I set you free, where would you_ go _? Like you said, you don't_ belong _among humans. You're going to have to leave that life behind._

But . . . But I-

 _If it's any consolation, you're not alone. Plenty of other people became dinosaurs, though not many are part vehicle as well._

. . . What are you going to _do_ with me?

 _That's the question, isn't it? For now, we'll keep you caged up with the rest of them. It's more than you deserve, and more than you'd get from anyone down in that village._

Please . . . I'm not a monster . . .

 _I don't want you to think that I'm judging you based on the way you look. That's not the problem, here._

Then why are you locking me in a cage?

 _Well, like I said, you're a murderer. Being a dinosaur doesn't make you a monster, Eli. You made yourself into one all on your own._

No . . . NO, WAIT! WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME? PLEASE, LET ME GO! I WANT TO GO HOME! I WANT TO GO HOME!

***TSJWFKFEW***

"Hello, Claire . . ."

***TSJWFKFEW***

The tension between myself and Eli only escalated in the days that followed my outburst. It wasn't just that he was more hostile with me- if anything, he was _quieter_ \- but the effects of my attack could be seen in subtle ways. He was reluctant to take his medication, first of all, and I would have assumed that he was just shy about it, except he had cut down on the gasoline as well. He was waking up even _later_ than usual, and he was looking worn down. He had bags under his eyes- darker bags than usual, I mean- and his scales were peeling in places. He was malnourished and exhausted, and I knew that it was mostly because of what I had done.

"Are you gonna finish that?" I asked, pointing to his jerrycan.

"Why? Do _you_ want a sip?"

He held up the jug sardonically, then pushed it through the bars of his cage, turning away with a snarl. I watched as it leaked brown liquid on the floor.

"Come on, Eli. You can't just stop eating like that . . . or drinking. Whatever it is."

He snorted.

"Watch me."

"You'll die."

"I'm not _that_ lucky."

I curled my fingers around the bars of my cage and pressed my snout through a gap.

"Eli . . ."

"Look, can we stop pretending like you actually _care_ what happens to me?"

"Just because I don't _like_ you doesn't mean I want to watch you waste away . . ."

"Oh, you and your bleeding heart. I've made my decision, Claire. I give up. On redemption, on escaping, on life in general. You win. There's no point in fighting it."

"Eli, I don't want you to die."

"I _know_ that. I'm not some naïve, undiscerning ball of self-pity. But that being the case, I know you're not doing this out of concern for my well-being. This is about your _own_ failings. _You_ fucked up, and you can't live with the consequences of your actions. The only reason you're trying to help me is because you're afraid of what will happen if you _don't_. This reflects poorly on your character, and you can't live with that guilt, so you're trying to wash the blood off your hands by coercing me into forgiveness- which you won't _get_ , by the way, because I _refuse_ to let you off the hook, just because you're too much of a coward to accept any repercussions. You're only in this for _you_ , so let's not pretend that this is anything but manipulation masquerading as kindness. We're adults, here. We both know what's _really_ going on."

I hate to admit it, but he really hit the nail on the head. Still, I wasn't done with him yet.

"Eli, I made a terrible mistake. You're right about me trying to make amends, but if I feel genuinely bad about what I did- _and I do_ \- wouldn't it be proof enough that I care about your well being, at least a little?"

He turned around and looked me in the eyes.

"Name _one_ thing you see in me that's worth saving."

Oh, fuck.

A few examples flittered through my mind, but I was reticent about complimenting him in any way. I waited too long to make a judgment call, and he turned away with a sneer.

"That's what I thought."

I sighed.

"Eli, life is _always_ worth saving, even if I'm . . . _unable_ to come up with a reason why you're _specifically_ deserving of life."

"Has anyone told you that you suck at compliments?"

"I've never associated with someone who doesn't _deserve_ them before."

"You're only digging this hole deeper."

I snuffed, shaking my head irritably.

"You know what? I don't _need_ your approval. _I_ know that what I said was wrong, and I plan to do better in the future."

"You'll always carry the burden of your mistake, though."

"Well, at least the person _I_ betrayed is still alive."

Oh, that got under his skin, I could tell. Cutting him down using his appearance or his medical situation reflected poorly on _me_ , but judging him for the murder he committed was fair, poignant, and morally sound. He could always deflect it by comparing his actions to mine, but chewing up a vicious dinosaur and a tiny piglet in an unhinged fit of fury was still less morbid than deliberately taking the life of a defenceless man. I was sure that some part of Eli was torn up about what he'd done, and I _almost_ felt bad for him, but it was _ridiculous_ to feel that way, right? I mean, when you take a step back and look at the whole picture, him feeling bad about killing someone couldn't _possibly_ carry the same emotional weight as the suffering he'd caused by doing so. His actions had affected Maisie, Iris- and Lockwood, obviously- _immeasurably_ , and he would never, _ever_ live that down. Although I still felt bad about what I'd said, I was less concerned about his emotional state, taking all of this into consideration. Unfair as my remark had been, he _deserved_ this kind of pain, and more.

(And maybe you could imagine tearing him to shreds, just as a theoretical reflection on the level of punishment he _should_ be getting.)

My violent side was getting coy, but it was also easier to control. The bloodthirsty thoughts sprung up as frequently as ever, but they were background noise now. They rarely ever led to me considering these actions in great detail, and I hadn't come close to fulfilling my desires for a good, long time. But there was still work to be done, of course. I wouldn't be satisfied until these thoughts were snuffed out entirely.

A loud clanking and a frazzled voice caught my attention. Someone was coming. I guessed that Moonwatcher must have found another fugitive, and I was correct. A metal gate near the doors lifted slowly, revealing an irate Spinosaurus who hurled verbal abuse in the same tone of voice a wealthy restaurant patron might use after having red wine spilled on their lap.

"You let me go this instant! Do you know who I _am_?! My lawyers will hear about this! I have the right to-"

Moonwatcher cocked a tranquilizer gun.

"Remain silent? I agree."

The Spinosaurus stepped backwards in his cage, throat quivering slightly.

"You thought you could escape our notice, but luckily for you, you're kind of a pain in the ass, and _very_ easy to spot. You can't run, you can't hide, so get used to this cage, because it's all you're getting."

"This is unlawful."

"Mhm!" she chirped.

Moonwatcher pushed the cage (I assume it was magical or something- she didn't look very strong) beside mine.

Great. Now I was the meat of an asshole-sandwich. My older cellmate peeked over my back and nodded at the new arrival.

"Hello, Henry . . ."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Just so you know, this is _your_ fault."

Eli snorted and took a seat.

"You don't seem surprised that I'm a dinosaur."

"Neither do _you_ , so I guess we can chalk this up to personal experience," Wu hissed.

Eli laughed.

"Well, you know what they say about misery . . ."

I decided that this was an unwanted development. I was caught in a tiff between the two people most responsible for my transformation, and neither of them were shining examples of moral fortitude. At least Gunnar was _decent_. I wish he had stayed with us in the lab, but then again, he wouldn't be hanging out with Zia and Franklin, were that the case. I was happy for him, and a little jealous.

Wu, meanwhile, was still whining.

"This cage is _far_ too small: I can't even _stand_ properly! And who let in the cat?!"

Nectarine had somehow slipped into the lab unnoticed, and was currently rubbing against Wu's toe. He kicked the pussycat away, growling with annoyance.

"You had better let me out."

"Or _what_?" Moonwatcher smirked, "You're a _dinosaur_. You have nowhere to go. Even if you somehow managed to break free, we'd just capture you and bring you back."

"I hate to agree with her, but it's true," Eli muttered, "Neither of us belongs in our homeworld because of the way we look, and neither of us belongs on the island, because of what we've done. We're stuck here forever."

He cracked a bit on that last word, falling silent all of a sudden. I felt a twang of sympathy. Moonwatcher gave me a wave.

"Gotta step out for a second. Keep an eye on these two. Make sure they don't escape."

And she left.

"Great. I have to spend the rest of my life locked away with four ugly dinosaurs," Wu grumbled.

"You're counting _yourself_ too, right? . . ." Eli quipped.

"No. Of course not. I may be a dinosaur, but I'm _purebred_."

Eli groaned.

"Oh, come on. You're the _ugliest_ dinosaur among us . . . Okay, I lied. Wheatley's worse, but only by a _little_. He's like a melted lizard."

Wheatley sat up in his cage.

"Hey!"

Wu sneered.

"I'm easily the most competently-designed creature in this room."

Eli snorted, puffing out a cloud of exhaust.

"God, you always had an ego. Listen, this argument isn't very becoming of us, but just for the record, we're _all_ pretty ugly. With the exception of-"

"Yourself?"

"No! I have a metal tube in my ass! I was gonna say _Claire_."

Whoah. Where did _that_ come from?

Catching a glimpse of my reaction, he answered my thoughts.

"I mean, I designed the Indoraptor _myself_ , so-"

" _Excuse me_?!" Wu barked.

"Well, I came up with the _best_ ideas," he clarified, "The stripe? That was all me. I chose the color and everything. Also, the dark palette was my suggestion _too_ , and it goes really well with your green."

He was talking about me like I was a race car. Yuck. Why was he getting so _excited_ about my appearance? Because it gave him a chance to pat himself on the back, _that's_ why.

"Plus, your hair has always been a nice color, so that makes your frill alright . . ."

Hang on a minute . . .

"And you have those gold spots on it too, which matches the str-"

"Eli, did you just say that you like my hair?"

He waved his paw dismissively.

" _Liked_ , past tense. You don't have hair anymore."

"Huh . . ."

He rolled his eyes.

"Oh, don't give me that look. You had _objectively_ nice hair, but your personality is still terrible. Unlike _you_ , _I_ can find things to compliment, even though I hate your guts."

I swished my tail.

"Well, that's cheating. I didn't know we were counting physical appearance."

"Ah, that explains why you didn't mention my rugged good looks . . ."

"You have nice eyes."

He tensed up a bit, then relaxed.

"I know."

"You're lucky you got to keep them."

"Well, your frill is still the same color- darker, maybe, but it suits your new look."

"Hm. Blue is supposed to clash with red, but I think your eyes are so bright that it doesn't matter."

Wheatley groaned.

"Get a room!"

Eli snickered.

"Yeah, Claire. Learn to hold back, why don't you?"

I grinned.

"Sorry, Eli. _I'm_ already taken."

Right on cue, Owen stepped through the door. Eli turned his gaze to the ceiling, groaning loudly.

"You have got to be fucking _kidding_ me!"

I made a point of licking Owen's cheek as he hopped up on my cage, reaching between the bars to scratch my frill.

"Good morning, beautiful."

Eli gagged. I smiled and nuzzled Owen's cheek.

"Hello, handsome."

He nodded to Wu.

"I see you have a new roommate."

"Unfortunately, yes."

Wu glared at me.

"All those years of working together, and you don't _trust_ me?"

"Well, you made the monster that attacked me- _twice_ \- so no. I do not."

He snarled.

"But hey, just to prove that I bear no ill will, the code to unlock your cage is 2321," I twittered.

He typed it in, and the door clicked open.

"How did you _know_? . . ."

"Moonwatcher is not as clever as she _thinks_ she is."

As Wu pushed the gate open, I held up a claw.

"Ah, ah, ah! Don't try to escape. Remember what Moonwatcher said."

He glowered bitterly and pulled the door closed again.

"This is a disgrace."

Eli's eyes flickered with hope.

"Claire, you opened my door the other day. Mind telling me what the code was?"

"Sorry, Eli. Since I apparently have no _real_ sympathy for you, I don't think I _can_ . . ."

Owen blinked.

"Is this about the AIDS thing?"

Owen, Jesus Christ. Why'd he have to ruin my small victory?

Eli clenched his jaw.

"You told _Owen_?"

"I never-"

"Oh, I didn't hear it from Claire," Owen explained, "Not directly, anyway. I was on MooTube- it's like YouTube, but for dinosaurs- and between the recommended videos featuring cat compilations and NeoNazis for no discernible reason, I found a video entitled 'You Have AIDS - Remix'."

Oh, shit. That didn't sound good.

Owen turned to me.

"I think we should discuss our privacy with Moonwatcher, by the way. She's been allowing tiny robots to film us."

Moonwatcher conveniently (not so conveniently) burst in at that very moment.

"Actually, my primary method of documentation is via text, but the internal logic of this story indicates that we are both a movie AND a novel, yet there's more physical evidence for the latter. Honestly, it doesn't make much s-"

Noticing my enraged glare, she coughed.

"I understand you're upset about me expl- _utilizing_ you like this, but think of it _this_ way: we're providing entertainment for _millions_ of people, and their money is funding our efforts to cure you of-"

"MILLIONS?" I squawked.

She gulped.

"Yeah . . . We're quite popular. It's mainly because of brand recognition, if I'm being honest . . . I mean, we DO have a monopoly on the media, since our entire existence was written by a monarch, and all . . ."

Owen crossed his arms.

"You know, I thought it was really sweet of you to give Maisie that stuffed dinosaur that looks like Claire, but now I have a sneaking suspicion that you mass-produced them without our knowledge."

Moonwatcher shook her head.

"No, that one was just a prototype. We're putting voice boxes in the first batch. By the way, Claire, would you be willing to-"

"No."

She winced.

"Ah. Well, we could always use a mix of the _other_ Claire's audio samples, plus some Indoraptor growls."

I whined.

"Moonwatcher . . ."

She raised her hands.

"I know, I know. You don't like me profiting off your tragedy. But the money is going towards research that could solve your Indoraptor problem, and you're making _so_ many people happy . . ."

"How much are you telling them?"

Her eyes darted back and forth.

"Um . . . I'm not sure I can quantify that accurately."

Sometimes, Moonwatcher gives me the willies. Her mix of vague brush-offs and corporate-speak gives me the impression that she's perhaps not entirely invested in my emotional well-being.

And she's odd. _Very_ odd.

I sighed with defeat.

"Well, as long as the money's being funnelled into a cure . . . I'm still not _happy_ about this, but I'd do _anything_ to be human again."

Eli gulped.

"Moonwatcher, is any of this funding going towards . . . fixing _me_?"

She gestured for Owen to leave. Obviously, she anticipated conflict. He kissed my paw and whispered that he'd be back soon. Moonwatcher made sure that he was absent, then turned back to Eli.

"I'm gonna be honest. You're not our top priority right now. We gotta send Claire back to her homeworld, but _you_ . . . Well, you're _dead_ there, so we can't exactly put you back with everyone else."

Eli's throat wobbled.

"So I'm never going home? . . . _Ever_? . . ."

"Probably not. But that's no big deal, right? I mean, you don't strike me as the kind of guy who _needs_ a home."

Eli's tail was drooping now.

"I . . . I want my life back."

"So you've said, but I can't let you interfere with the timeline. We're already dealing with too many anomalies as it is. Claire's part bat, and the apatosaurus from Jurassic World was _not_ Robin's equivalent in the Fallen Kingdom universe. But it was the same apatosaurus, I think. So there are points of divergence between Jurassic World and Fallen Kingdom, the latter of which also had Jurassic World occur in its universe. It's unsettling to me. Who was the apatosaurus? . . ."

She turned and wandered away, muttering to herself. Eli watched her leave, then sunk into his tires.

"I guess that's it for me, then."

"You could still live a happy life on this island . . ." I suggested.

He turned his head away sharply.

"They'll never let a murderer wander free. Everyone here knows what I did. And _now_ they know about-"

He choked.

"It's over."

I bit my beak.

"Eli, I'm sorry she can't change you back . . ."

He lay on his side, sighing deeply.

"You know, Claire, I would have let you go."

"What?"

"I never wanted you to get caught up in my plans. Down in the basement, I would have let you go, if you had cooperated."

"Well, I wouldn't have stood by while you participated in animal trafficking, so 'cooperation' wasn't really on the table."

His eyes were distant.

"I wish you'd have let me carry on. If you had walked away, things would have ended up differently for _both_ of us."

"There's no way I would have stayed complacent while you engaged in unethical behaviour."

"You seemed okay with it back at the park . . ." Wu chimed in icily.

"He's right, Claire," Eli whispered, "You think you're morally righteous, but you're just as rotten as _I_ am."

"I knew when to walk away."

"And you didn't murder anyone either, I suppose."

"No, I did not."

Eli closed his eyes.

"So here we are. Two dinosaurs locked up in cages. Which one of us deserves to be here? Both? Neither?"

" _You_ do."

Eli's head slid over a little. His eyes met mine.

"Can you _really_ not think of anything redeemable about me?"

"I can't."

He swallowed.

"Well, that settles it, I suppose. I'm the bad guy in this story."

"From _my_ point of view, yes! . . ."

"And the only way to escape it is by escaping the story."

I cocked my head.

"Eli, are you drunk?"

"No, Moonwatcher refuses to give me ethanol," he grumbled, "But it's _true_ , isn't it? I'm stuck as a monster, in _this_ world _and_ the other. I can't undo that. But maybe if I find another setting, that will change. I'll get a clean slate. I'll get my life back."

"But even if your surroundings change, _you_ won't."

These words hurt him deeply, I could tell. He curled up in a ball and closed his eyes.

"You're right."

After a few moments of silence, Wheatley clicked his tongue.

"You guys have really interesting conversations, you know that?"

***TSJWFKFEW***

I thought about everything Eli had said. Although I could never condone his actions, it was impossible to stop myself from sympathizing with him, at least to _some_ degree. He was in the same predicament as _I_ was, after all, and I knew how it could wear down on a person's soul. Having lost his humanity, Eli was struggling to come to terms with his new life, but unlike me, he didn't have any friends to help him through this transition. Worse still, he was unable to return to our homeworld _at all_ , as Moonwatcher said, which must be very painful for him. Yes, I felt bad for Eli. Reminding myself that he was a murderer usually numbed my compassion, but I couldn't forget that look of sorrow in his eyes that I felt on a personal level.

 _CONTAINMENT BREACH._

I jolted awake in the middle of the night.

 _CONTAINMENT BREACH._

I looked around. The cages beside mine were empty.

Shit. This was one hundred percent my fault.

I was hoping that they would know better than to make a break for it, but apparently not. Moonwatcher had warned them that they'd be captured if they tried to flee, but just in case, I decided to go after them. It was _my_ fault they had escaped, after all, and it had been an easily-avoidable mistake.

Bad Claire. Bad.

I sniffed out a trail of exhaust and dashed after Eli, hoping Wu would be with him. After a few minutes of pursuit, I caught sight of the two escapees. They were running through the plains- Well, Eli was _rolling_ \- rapidly approaching a nearby beach. I pumped my leg muscles, taking full advantage of my raptor-speed. When they hit the sand, Eli screeched to a halt.

"Wait! I can't swim like this!"

Wu slipped into the water.

"Not my problem."

Eli's jaw dropped.

"Henry . . . HENRY!"

He was already gone. Eli started shaking. He turned to flee, but soon realized that I was standing behind him.

"Claire . . ."

"Eli."

He backed up, but found his wheels dipping into the water.

"Claire, please, let me go . . ."

"Where."

He choked.

"I-I don't know. Away. I can't stay _here_."

"Eli, there's nowhere to run. There's no way out this time. Come back with me."

He shook his head.

"I'd rather drown."

Stunned by his words, I fell back. He took advantage of my distraction by zooming to my right, but I caught him before he could make it too far. Not knowing my own strength, I flung him over my head and slammed him into the sand, knocking the wind out of him. He tensed up, and suddenly, an airbag burst out of his rear, just a little too late. He groaned.

"Of course . . ."

We both became aware of a frustrated roar in the distance. A helicopter was shooting at Wu as he made his bold escape. It would only be a matter of time before he was caught. Eli watched him with terror.

"They'll be coming for _me_ , soon."

"Don't try anything."

He met my gaze.

"Claire, go home. They might think you're in on it, too."

That got me panicking. I quickly regained my composure, however.

"No, Eli. They know _you're_ the only guilty one."

"Go."

"Why? So you can make your escape?"

"So I can drive into the ocean."

I uncrossed my arms.

"Eli-"

"I've made my decision. They'll think it was an accident."

"Eli, don't _do_ this . . ."

His jaw trembled.

"What does it _matter_ , Claire?" he sobbed, "If I don't die tonight, it's only a matter of time. I'd rather end it quickly, instead of starving to death or wasting away. Please, just allow me this one bit of dignity!"

I looked over his shoulder at his still-inflated butt-bag. He frowned.

"You know what I mean."

After a long pause, I lifted my chin.

"You never give up."

He batted his eyes.

"What?"

"You asked if there was anything good I could see in you, and it's that you never give up. Sure, you hold onto bad ideas and evil plots, but you follow through with them. On a conceptual level, devoid of context, that's something I can admire."

He took in these words with awe. After trying to form a response and failing, he swallowed nervously.

"Claire-"

He yelped as a tranquilizer dart hit his neck. It was followed by four more. Before passing out, he deliberately held my eyeline, then slumped over. Moonwatcher skipped down the beach, holding a tranquilizer gun and sucking on a lollipop.

"Evening, Claire. Thanks for catching the escaped asset."

"You need better codes."

"I know. We're switching to fingerprint ID. We're gonna be making some modifications, so do you think you could stay with Owen for a few hours while I bring these suckers back?"

"Sure."

"Great! See you soon!"

I watched as she dragged Eli across the sand (okay, maybe she WAS just strong). His face was peaceful, but a single, blue tear had stained his cheek.

I had to wonder.

***TSJWFKFEW***

"So the Henry Wu that escaped was from _our_ world, not some other dimension or whatever?"

I yawned and rolled over on the hotel carpet.

"Yup. He's definitely the Wu we know."

Owen ran his fingers through his hair.

"I'm still confused about that."

"I think we _all_ are."

He sighed and walked over to his desk.

"Moonwatcher tried to explain it to me, but it still doesn't make much sense. Look."

He handed me a post-it note with seemingly random abbreviations.

 _JP, TSJPFEW, TLW._

 _JP3 (We do not speak of this world.)_

 _JP, TLW and JP3 as soft canon, JW._

 _Combine the last world with FK, adding on TSJPFEW anomalies to JW minus FK. FK also seems affected by TSJPFEW, though to a lesser extent. Further divisions TBD._

I scanned the paper, trying to make sense of it.

"I . . . don't understand Moonwatcher. I don't understand _this world_."

Owen smiled and rubbed my front horn.

"Neither do _I_ , but what I _do_ know is that regardless of what happened here before we arrived, we're the same people we always w-"

I gave him a look.

"No, I mean it," he insisted, "A lot has changed, but one thing is for certain: we're stuck in this adventure together, as always."

"Stuck together. For survival."

He smiled.

"For survival."

Deciding that that was a high note to end on, I stretched myself out and trotted towards the door.

"Moonwatcher will have solved the containment issue by now."

"Where do you think _you're_ going?"

"Well, back to the-"

I noticed that he was patting the bed. After a pause, my face lit up.

"Owen! . . ."

He stood up and hugged my neck, laughing as I licked his cheek.

"Welcome home, Claire."

***TSJWFKFEW***

The prisoners slept soundly that night. The silent hybrid rested in the corner of his cage. Wheatley snored on his back, drooling heavily. Henry dozed off with Nectarine purring on his snout. If anyone had asked him, he would have denied letting the feline jump up there in the first place, though the warmth of the little fuzzball made him smile. They were at peace, with the exception of one dinosaur, who stood vigilant in his enclosure.

Eli stared at the doors in silence, waiting for Claire to return.

But she never did.


	8. Iris' Belated Spa Day

Owen always enjoyed waking up to the warmth of Claire's body, but sometimes, he forgot that she was a dinosaur now. He still wasn't too certain what his feelings about this change were, exactly. It was confusing and terrifying and completely out of left field. He had never dealt with this kind of situation before, and he wasn't quite sure how to process it. First of all, was it morally wrong to love Claire as a dinosaur? Moonwatcher said it wasn't, but Moonwatcher was Moonwatcher, so that wasn't much to go off of. Obviously, Claire still had a human mind, but if Owen was still in love with her, he'd have to love the _rest_ of her too, and what _then_? Was it okay to love a dinosaur body just because it belonged to Claire? Why did he even _need_ to consider this in the first place? He was just unlucky, he supposed. Most people would never even SEE a dinosaur, much less DATE one.

(But Claire _isn't_ a dinosaur.)

 _Was_ she? Was it more hurtful to deny that she had changed at all, to imply that existing as a dinosaur was something to be ashamed of? Or would she be happy if he considered her human? It was hard to say.

(Just _ask_ her.)

Now, _that_ , he would not do. He had already struck out too many times, and he couldn't risk upsetting her again.

(But she told you to be honest, to communicate.)

Shit. That was true. But what if he fucked it up, like he fucked up everything?

He rolled over, hoping to get a glimpse of her sleeping face, but felt something prickling in his shirt. Claire had placed her paw on his chest, beneath his clothing. She was still fast asleep. Slowly, Owen reached up to remove her claws, but she sensed the shift and groaned quietly. He froze in place as she lifted her head and yawned, revealing a set of sharp teeth before her jaws snapped shut. She clapped her beak a couple of times, looking around the room with droopy eyelids. When her gaze fell upon Owen, he realized that his face showed apprehension, and he replaced it with a smile.

"Morning, Clairebear."

"I had a dream that I was scratching trees in a dark forest. They smelled like green apples. What do you think it means?"

"Uh-"

Her eyes went wide.

"Shit, did I claw you by accident?"

She removed her paw from his shirt, wincing as her claws got tangled in his chest hair. He sat up quickly.

"You didn't hurt me. It was just a dream."

She examined his chest with dilated pupils, and detecting no injuries, breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good. Let me know if any of my . . . _pointy bits_ get in the way."

"I will."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

As they got out of bed, he pulled his sleeve down to cover a small scrape.

***TSJWFKFEW***

"Good, good . . . a little closer . . ."

I was inches away from the new piglet. It grunted nervously.

"You doing okay?" Owen asked.

"Somewhat . . ."

"You can back up, if you want."

I gulped. A bead of sweat trickled between my eyes.

"I don't want to lose my progress."

"You won't. If taking a breather will help, y-"

"I'm staying."

"Okay, okay . . . You wanna try the gun?"

We hadn't used the gun since before the pig incident. I wished he'd stop asking.

"No. I don't think so."

"Alright. You about ready to finish up?"

"Mhm."

He opened the exit gate. I watched as the piglet scampered away. When the door shut, I realized that I had been holding my breath.

"That was _great_ , Claire! You're really improving!" Owen cheered.

I noticed that Moonwatcher was using a calculator. I turned and looked up at her, trotting over to her side of the catwalk.

"How much progress did I make?"

She batted her eyes.

"Hm?"

"Any progress?" I repeated.

She grinned and turned the calculator upside down.

"I got it to say 'BOOBS'."

It was my fault for asking.

I shook my head and turned to Gunnar, Zia, and Franklin, who were playing cards near the control board.

"You three seem really invested in my training . . ."

Zia shrugged.

"I mean, now that there's boobs involved . . ."

Gunnar smiled down at me, not noticing that Franklin was peeking at his hand.

"You did great, Claire! Really top notch! I'm proud of you!"

"Thank you, Gunnar."

As I turned away, I heard him whispering to Zia.

"Is she supposed to catch the pig or no?"

Well, even if they're slow on the uptake, I love my friends. Fortunately, Owen was a little more invested than they were. He clomped down the metal staircase two steps at a time and entered the paddock.

"I have a surprise for you."

He put both arms behind his back.

"Pick a hand."

I pointed to his left hand. He opened it, revealing nothing.

"Aw, try again."

He adopted the pose once more, and I pointed to his right hand. He opened it. Again, nothing. He clicked his tongue.

"You have such rotten luck, Claire . . ."

I quirked a brow and started circling him. He kept his back turned to me.

"Owen . . ."

"You're just gonna have to keep guessing, Claire . . ."

I rolled my eyes.

"Left hand."

He smiled.

"You know, I think I feel something in there . . ."

He opened his palm, revealing a keycard. My face brightened.

"I thought it might make going back and forth easier. I don't want you to have to depend on me to let you in."

I smiled, but suddenly, I felt something twinge inside of me. It was another violent impulse. When I shut it out, my head began to ache.

"Claire? You okay?"

I placed a paw over my frill.

"My head hurts . . ."

"Oh, jeez, I didn't think you'd react _this_ badly. Should we get you to a doctor?"

We both screamed as Moonwatcher popped up between us.

"Actually, that would be irresponsible. Nobody knows how Claire's anatomy works. She has two stomachs, I've heard. But based on the readings I'm getting from this device that measures Claire's stress levels-"

"Odd way to phrase it, considering this is information we already know . . ." Owen pointed out.

"Not everyone was around for that exposition. Anyway, the thingy says she's under a lot of stress. Luckily for you, we _just_ opened up a new spa, and Iris has expressed interest in taking a day off. You guys can go with her."

"Who will look after Maisie?" I asked.

"I'll do it," Owen volunteered, "I'm not really into the whole 'spa' scene."

Moonwatcher slapped his back a little too hard.

"Great! Setup done, onto rising action."

"Uh-"

"Well, a very _laid-back_ rising action. This is gonna be a bit of a crawl, and we probably should have paced ourselves so that it came after a major event to give people a chance to unwind, but even if it's an unearned period of rest, it'll be good for character growth."

I glared at her.

"Are you _still_ writing about us?"

". . . No? . . ."

I narrowed my eyes.

". . . Maybe? . . ."

I sighed and nodded to the gate.

"Just show me this spa of yours."

I forced myself to avoid commenting on her malicious laugh.

***TSJWFKFEW***

I entered a peach-colored building with Iris by my side, following Moonwatcher's (poorly communicated) directions. Maisie's old nanny wasn't looking too good- I mean, she was a very strange-looking hybrid to begin with- but she seemed to be exhausted on top of that.

"Maisie's been a handful, huh?"

"No more than usual," she sighed.

"Does it help having Owen look after her from time to time?"

It was strange to see a scaly creature show such fondness in her visage.

"It gives me a much-needed break, but it's still a full-time job. Even when I had Benjamin and Mr. Mills helping me, taking care of Maisie was an uphill battle, the little devil."

I batted my eyelashes (I still had _those_ ) with surprise.

" _Eli_ used to take care of Maisie?"

"Not very often," Iris replied, "Mostly, he'd just watch her while dinner was being prepared. I mean 'watching' in the loosest sense of the word, by the way. He'd usually be reading the paper or doing business at his desk. Maisie would beg him to play, and he'd tell her that he preferred to be 'a quiet dinosaur that sits alone'. She let him be a cycad."

Okay, that was a _little_ funny.

I snorted.

"Of course, we assumed that he was doing honest work," she continued, "None of us could have guessed what he was _really_ up to. He was always so charming, so bright. The most dangerous thing in the world is evil veiled with a smile."

I thought about the Eli I had met all those years ago. Where had that man gone? Did he even exist in the first place? An image of Eli sobbing in the middle of the night flashed through my mind. There was always a chance that he was faking these glimmers of humanity, but why put on a show when no one was watching?

"Iris?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think that Eli was ever _good_?"

She paused before answering.

"Perhaps, but a good man would _never_ do what he did. If he was capable of-"

The way she choked indicated that she had been told about Lockwood's demise. If she had heard the story from Moonwatcher, she was aware of every gruesome detail, the poor woman.

"Well, I don't think a person can go from human to monster unless a part of them was always monstrous, let's put it _that_ way," she finished.

I found myself agreeing with her fully until she added:

". . . which is why I'd like to discuss your relationship with Maisie."

Oh, shit.

I gulped.

"Iris, you _know_ that I'd never hurt-"

"I was there when you had your little accident," she interrupted tersely, "I saw what you're capable of. Maisie still has nightmares about it, and I don't think she's told me about _everything_ you've done."

I tried to hide my guilt, but she saw right through me. My tail gravitated between my legs instinctively, but I held it back and instead turned my head away. Iris sighed and touched my shoulder.

"Claire, I only have Maisie's best interests at heart. I know this isn't your fault, but I can't risk putting her in danger. I have nothing against you as a person otherwise, and I'm glad you're making an effort to heal."

I felt a surge of anger pulse through my veins. As I drowned it out, another stabbing pain shot through my skull. Iris watched me with concern.

"I'm fine," I breathed.

She nodded slowly.

"I don't have a problem with you seeing Maisie, but if anything happens . . . I won't hold back."

"Iris, I-"

"Don't think I won't defend her with my life. You're not the _only_ one with a sharp set of teeth."

(Holy shit! Is Iris actually _threatening_ me right now?!)

I felt my claws twitching, out of my control.

(I could take her on, no problem. She doesn't stand a chance in a _real_ fight.)

I tried not to let my excitement show.

(Imagine how it'll feel to pierce through that thick hide and get to where the tender stuff is. She acts so tough, but she'd change her tune if I cracked her shell open.)

I was starting to lean forward, my mind's eye igniting with red splatters, but Iris suddenly turned around and walked up to the spa's front desk. She rang the little bell.

"I do think Maisie needs someone like you," she admitted, "I don't intend to scare you off. I'm just being cautious."

I shook my head quickly.

"I'm not scared."

That was _technically_ true.

"I'm glad you care about Maisie as much as I do," I continued, "If _I_ were in your place, _I'd_ be worried about me, too."

I realized that that was precisely the wrong thing to say.

"I mean-"

"I know what you meant," Iris assured me gently, "If there's one person I trust to take care of Maisie, it's _you_."

I laughed nervously.

"I guess Maisie's kind of starved for parental figures, what with the only people close to her being murderers . . . or murder _victims_ . . ."

Iris winced.

"Yes, well, concerned though I may be about your violent habits, in my heart, I know that you love Maisie as much as _I_ do."

"Owen loves her, too."

She gave a noncommittal hum.

"Yes, but Owen doesn't know how to parent her. He gives her too much ice cream and treats her like a princess. In moderation, that would be fine, but but she's starting to act entitled . . . and she grew up in a _mansion_ , remember."

I nodded.

"Iris, it's very kind of you to trust us with Maisie. I know you raised her, and I'd never dream of crossing a line there-"

"It's okay, Claire. Now that Benjamin is no longer with us, Maisie needs a guardian. You'll do better than most, I suppose."

Bit of a backhanded compliment, but that was okay. I needed to stay on good terms with Iris, or I'd never be allowed to see Maisie again. It wasn't worth getting upset over a little sting like that.

(Or getting violent.)

"Thank you, Iris," I said with a wince, "I just wish we could have sorted this out under better circumstances."

 _SCRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR._

We turned and saw Moonwatcher dragging her hand down a chalkboard. She twinkled her fingers cheerfully.

"I got my nails done. Are you ready for a day of complete relaxation?"

My headache suggested that I was definitely _not_ , but I nodded anyway.

"Good! Step right this way!"

She led us through an open doorway. Iris took no notice of my worry, but I was starting to wonder if I had made a potential enemy.

***TSJWFKFEW***

"And this here's the massage room, which concludes our tour!" Moonwatcher chirped.

"Why are you suddenly speaking in a Boston accent?" I asked.

She huffed.

"Nowhere in the text does it say that I DON'T have a Boston accent, but now you've ruined it for me. Also, I just smoked a butt full of crack."

I gawked.

"First of all, _what_? Second, don't you mean 'butt _load_ '?"

She blinked.

"Well . . ."

I turned away hastily.

"Thank you, Moonwatcher. I think we can find our way from here."

"But don't you wanna-"

"I think I see Zia. Hi, Zia!"

I waddled away as fast as my scaly legs could take me. On the other side of the room, I gave Zia a quick hug.

"Start talking to me. Hurry. Moonwatcher's being weird."

She looked over my shoulder. I did too. Moonwatcher was stroking a stock photo on the wall, mouthing something that looked like "hairlines lapicide". Iris backed away from her slowly. Zia hummed.

"Yeah, best to avoid that. How about we go sit next to that dolphin-looking chick?"

She was referring to the large hybrid I had seen on the very first day I left the lab. I _still_ didn't know where I recognized her from, but I had a feeling that the explanation would make me question my sobriety again. She perked up when she saw me.

"Hey, Other Claire! What have _you_ been up to?"

"I-"

"Just kidding!" she chirped, "I read all about it! Tell me, how excited are you to be back together with Owen?"

Oh, Moonwatcher was an absolute turd.

"I'm getting along just fine, thanks," I replied flatly, "Can I ask _you_ something? Where do I know you from?"

She gave a squawking laugh.

"Didn't _your_ world have a Zara?"

My jaw dropped.

"Zara? . . . I mean, _yes_ , I knew _a_ Zara, but she _died_."

The reptile's mouth twitched.

"Yes, so did _I_. But not for long, obviously . . ."

I took another look at her. Now that I knew who she was, her new form seemed particularly cruel.

"It seems like there's a bitter irony in your design. You're a mosasaur-pteranodon, right?"

"Yes, and actually, that's kind of how it works. For _some_ of us, anyway. See, _I_ came back as a hybrid because I was killed by two non-dinosaurs, which counted as one whole dinosaur, I suppose. That was back when the virus hadn't adapted, mind you, so animals such as yourself and your friends were rare. I knew at least two not-killed-by-a-dinosaur hybrids. Vivian and my husband, god rest his soul."

I gulped.

"Oh, Zara, I'm so sorry. Alec was a good man."

She snorted.

"Not Alec. Vic."

I snickered.

"Gee, I hope you don't mean Vic _Hoskins_."

She didn't laugh along with me. My smile faded.

" _Do_ you mean Vic Hoskins?"

She nodded.

"We were married for several years. We had two beautiful children."

This world was pretty fucked-up already, but as far as unexpected developments go, this one took the cake.

"Zara, Vic Hoskins was a _very_ bad man where I came from . . ."

She was visibly uncomfortable, shifting awkwardly in her spa chair.

"I know it sounds strange, since you haven't been around, but . . . he changed."

I gulped.

"Zara, this is _really_ concerning. I don't think Vic Hoskins was exactly _husband_ material. You could have been putting yourself in _danger_."

She glared at me.

"Well, if you _must_ know, _Vic_ wasn't the dangerous side of our relationship, in the end."

She snapped her wings against her side and rolled off of the chair, slinking away angrily.

"I'll see you later."

She snarled at Zia.

"By the way, thanks for replacing me in the children's alphabet song. I'm a bloody _war hero_!"

She lumbered away, sobbing heavily. Now that her massive body was out of the way, I noticed a second hybrid on the neighbouring chair.

"Wow, you really pissed her off. You should probably apologize."

"What did I even _say_?"

She grunted.

"Well, if you'd bothered to do your research, you'd know that Zara was the one who killed Vic. She didn't _mean_ to, of course, but Real Claire's sister _made_ her do it."

My jaw dropped.

"Not _Karen_! Karen would _never_ do something like that!"

The dinosaur scowled at me.

"Oh, she _would_. And then she killed Real Owen and Real Claire."

"No . . ."

"Yes. That's how our royalty- two of my _best friends_ \- died."

I lowered my head in shame.

"I'm sorry, I just . . . I don't know if I can bring myself to believe that it happened."

"Neither do I."

I nodded slowly.

"I should have been more considerate . . . I don't think we've been properly introduced. My name is Claire Dearing."

She stared at me flatly.

"Vivian . . . Krill . . ."

I winced.

"Oh, right . . ."

She shrugged.

"I don't expect you to remember Isla Nublar's most boring bisexual, but there you go."

I smiled sheepishly.

"I didn't recognize you like this. You seem pretty cool, though. You're a hadrosaur, right?"

"Acristavelafrons. Hybrid. Randomly chosen combination, like your friends."

Franklin raised his paw.

"I actually got raptor blood in my mouth."

"You're part _Utah_ raptor, not _Veloci_ raptor."

He retracted his claw.

"Oh."

She waved her front foot dismissively.

"I've given up on figuring this shit out, but feel free to speculate. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go console my friend. Maybe my daughter can put her to sleep. When she whistles at a specific frequency- You know what, it'll take too long to explain. Have a nice day."

We watched her leave in silence. After a pause, Zia turned to me.

"You seem to have bad luck with the locals."

Before I could reply, Gunnar came barreling around the corner.

"I heard you guys were going to the spa, and I thought-"

He caught a glimpse of our expressions.

"Is . . . is this a bad time?"

We shot each other concerned glances. Gunnar shrunk away.

"If I'm being the awkward fourth friend, you can tell me . . ."

Zia sighed.

"No, it's not that. Claire just sent a widow away crying because of the husband she ate."

Gunnar nodded sagely.

"Ah . . . I see . . ."

He blinked twice.

"Actually, I _don't_ see. What you just said doesn't make much sense to me."

I grumbled and pushed past him.

"You and me both, pal. I'm gonna try to find a staff member to get us started with . . . whatever we're supposed to be doing."

I made my way down the hall, fuming. I didn't know if it was just bad luck like Zia said, or if this conflict was by design, but I sure didn't like it. As I rounded the corner that led to the lobby, I almost crashed into a large, metal leg. Eli jumped with surprise and looked down at me.

"Claire! . . ."

He hobbled to the side. I noticed a piece of orange plastic on his right tire. They had booted him. We stood staring at each other for a while before he had the nerve to continue our encounter.

"I'm here for a wax . . . what about _you_?"

I snuffed.

"You don't even have _hair_ , Eli."

He shifted his wheels awkwardly.

"Well, I still have a bit of stubble- it's kind of hard to see- but I didn't mean _that_ kind of wax."

I narrowed my eyes. He shrugged.

"Moonwatcher thought it would be nice. I mean, if I'm already drinking gasoline, what harm is there in . . . car stuff . . ."

A long, awkward silence followed. Eli's head hung low, and his gaze met mine with a sincerity that could very well have been genuine or manipulative. I wasn't sure which.

"Can we talk? . . ."

I shrugged.

"What's there to talk about?"

He avoided my gaze.

"I don't know. I just figure you'd have a thing or two to say about our last encounter."

"Not really."

He swallowed, eyes drifting away once more.

"Oh, okay . . . It's just that . . . a lot happened."

"Well, if _you_ have something to say, feel free," I offered brusquely.

He twiddled his claws.

"Right, um . . . Did you _mean_ what you said? That thing about me never giving up?"

I chuckled quietly.

"Yes, Eli, I _did_ , but that doesn't count for much, given our history. Christ. Here I was, expecting an apology . . ."

His eyes went wide.

"Oh . . . shit . . ."

"Yeah. Not sure why I got my hopes up."

"I can still apologize, if you want . . ."

"The moment's gone."

As I turned away, he rolled after me, but he was soon stopped by the boot. He jolted, then lifted his leg a little before putting it back down. He stared at the orange plastic as he spoke.

"Even if it's too late, I still owe you an apology . . ."

"I'm listening."

"Should I go chronologically?"

"It's up to you."

He took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry I lied about the dinosaurs. I'm sorry I put you in danger. I'm sorry I kept you locked up. I'm sorry I tried to take Maisie from you. I'm sorry I called you names. I'm really, _really_ sorry that I tried to get you to murder Maisie and Owen, and I'm sorry if I forgot to mention anything."

I quirked a brow.

"No, that just about covers it, but I'm not the _only_ person you should be apologizing to."

"Fair enough."

He waited. I stared at him as he held his breath with anticipation.

"If you're expecting me to apologize back, you're gonna be disappointed . . ." I said.

"I don't expect you to apologize."

"Good, because I already said that I was sorry for telling everyone about-"

"I know. This isn't _about_ that. I'm ready to move on . . . I _forgive_ you."

Suddenly, I understood.

"Eli . . . I don't think I can forgive you for what you did."

"What? Why not? _I_ forgave _you_ . . ."

I scoffed.

"First of all, what _you_ did was worse, and it _wasn't_ an isolated incident. Second, were you really just saying that you forgive me to get me to forgive you back?!"

"No! Of course not!" he snapped.

"So you're saying that you _really, actually, honestly_ forgive me?"

"Well, I'm still mad at you, but I was hoping we could move on and put the past behind us."

I shook my head slowly.

"Eli, you haven't made up for what you did to me."

"But I'm _trying_ , Claire! I'm really, _really_ trying!" he protested, "I don't know what you're expecting, but nothing I try seems to _ever_ be enough for you! I can't very well be a hero when I'm locked in a cage, but even then, all of my kindness is ignored, and you treat me like shit even when I'm trying my best _not_ to be! I just don't know what you're _waiting_ for! I can't very well go back in time and undo what I did!"

"Well, this is going to sound clichéd, but you should have thought of that before betraying me."

His face softened for a moment, then he turned around and growled quietly.

"You're impossible."

"I'm being _completely reasonable_. Where's Moonwatcher?"

He looked over his shoulder.

"She left me alone, as usual. Don't know when she'll be back. I'm not exactly her favorite client, in case you haven't noticed."

"I've noticed."

"Ah. Then you know that you're getting special treatment."

"If you can even _call_ it that . . ."

"Hmph. That's fine. I guess I've forsaken my right to a happy life by making one mistake."

"That's _exactly_ how it works, if you replace 'mistake' with 'murder'."

He didn't reply. I churred impatiently.

"Where _is_ Moonwatcher? . . ."

We were both quiet for five minutes, at least. Then, Eli sighed with exasperation.

"Are we just gonna sit here in silence until Moonwatcher gets back?"

"Looks like it."

"Come on, Claire. Let's not keep acting this way."

I scoffed, unfolding my arms.

"You make it sound like this is just a petty grudge, but you're a _criminal_ , Eli! I don't want to have this discussion right now . . . or _ever_!"

"I _said_ I was sorry . . ."

"I know."

He bit his lip.

"So you _really_ won't forgive me? . . . Ever?"

"I never said _that_ . . ."

"It kind of sounds like that's the way things are going right now. If there's nothing I can do to change your mind, why should I even _bother_?"

"Because it's the right thing to do?"

He opened and closed his mouth.

". . . Okay, fair enough, but I don't want to get my hopes up if you're unwilling to give me a second chance."

"So don't."

He groaned.

" _Come on_ , Claire. Just tell me what I can do to win back your trust, and I'll _do_ it."

I glared at him.

"That's not how this works. I can't just forget about what you did."

"You don't _have to_ forget. I just want you to know that that's not the kind of person I want to be. What can I do to make up for my actions?"

"I don't know."

He tossed his head.

"Claire, I know I did something _horrible_ , and believe me, it's eating away at my conscience, but I can't keep _living_ like this, and you're the only person who's ever come close to understanding me."

"I hope you're pulling that out of your ass . . ."

"I don't _have_ an ass anymore. But even if I _did_ , this is genuine. This is _real_."

"Why the sudden change of heart?"

He straightened up, balancing on his wheels.

"Because I have a choice to make. I can live my life as a prisoner, change my ways and set myself free . . . or die. I have nothing left to lose. It's time to swallow my pride and admit that I was wrong. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, but it seems like you're not willing to believe that I can be good."

"No . . . I guess not."

He seemed hurt by this admission. His pain soon turned into confusion as a giant, purple swan waddled into the room. We both stared at the creature with wide eyes. It blinked.

"Are you . . . from Asterpara?" I asked.

Eli was shocked that I was speaking to such a strange animal, but luckily for me, she spoke back.

"Yes, I am."

"Ah . . . H-have you been helped?" I stuttered.

She ran her wing down the back of her neck.

"I . . . I was wondering if Elkay was around. I'm an old . . . _friend_."

"Where do you know her from?"

The swan gulped.

"Uh, well . . . we used to go to Chuck E. Cheese's together. She got lost in the play area once. She was in balls, deep."

A pause.

"That's a lie. We were lovers. I thought we could hook up."

Eli's mouth was still hanging open. He shut it when Moonwatcher came skipping around the corner.

"Hi, Serena. Elkay told me all about you. No, she's not here right now, but I'm sure we'll find her soon enough."

"She's _lost_?" the swan honked.

"Ran away. No one knows where she is. Not even her family. None that I've _asked_ , anyway."

The swan clicked her tongue.

"Seems they've been having bad luck lately. First Cecilia, now Elkay."

Moonwatcher froze.

"Elkay's sister is missing too?"

"She _was_."

"But you found her?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Seems she travelled to another world to look for Elkay."

Moonwatcher pursed her lips.

"So, she went missing _after_ Elkay? . . ."

"I guess you could say that. I thought Elkay was just visiting the other world, but if she's gone too, it'd be accurate to say that her sister went missing _after_ , I suppose."

"Ah, yes. And what happened to her, exactly?"

"She's dead."

Moonwatcher was petrified. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times before she could get any words out of it.

"That's impossible . . ."

"Not at all. That's the risk you take, going undercover as a mortal creature."

After a pause, Moonwatcher rotated on her heels. When she was facing me, she clenched her teeth.

"Well, the good news is, we found out who the apatosaurus was."

"And the bad news?"

She put her hands on her hips.

"Cecelia's DEAD!"

Eli backed away slowly, using his wheels as clumsy feet, unable to roll with the boot attached.

"Does this mean we're cancelling my parole? . . ."

"That's _exactly_ what it means," Moonwatcher replied icily.

He lowered his head with disappointment.

"Ah."

Eli followed Moonwatcher as she left, hobbling awkwardly. Before limping out the door, he turned to look over his shoulder.

"I hope you change your mind, Claire."

When he was gone, the swan hummed.

"Friend of yours?"

I stared ahead blankly.

" _Definitely_ not."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Late that night, Serena waddled across the island, making her way back to the portal that led to Asterpara. She froze as a nearby bush rustled. When a shadow emerged from it, she sighed with relief.

"Oh, it's _you_ . . ."

"You weren't supposed to _come_ here . . ."

She pulled her head back.

"Elkay said I was _always_ welcome to drop by."

"Yes, well, you've outlived your usefulness . . . but not for long."

"What do you m-"

***TSJWFKFEW***

The next morning, Maisie combed the beach, wondering where all the pretty purple feathers had come from.


	9. Ken's Toothy Friendship Necklace

"Sir, I've been looking into potential investments, and I think I've narrowed it down to a set of ideal candidates."

"Good, good . . . I knew I could trust you with this task, Eli. You've finished sooner than I expected, however. Were you thorough?"

"Of course! I was up all night doing my research- Don't worry: I wasn't drowsy, I did a good job- and I am _certain_ that I've made the right choice. The blue highlights are for financial growth, the yellow ones are charities and nonprofits, just to keep up the philanthropy work."

"Wonderful. You're very organized. Let me take a peek at this . . ."

". . ."

"Don't look so nervous, Eli."

"I just want to do right by you, sir."

"That you will, that you will . . . Well, everything seems to be in order. I agree with most of your choices. That's a good sign. There's just _one_ anomaly here."

". . . Oh. Nothing big, I hope."

"Nothing incriminating, haha! But I'm wondering about your decision to fund AIDS research."

". . . Ah . . ."

"It just seems to not _fit_ with everything else, if you know what I mean . . ."

"Well, yes, sir, I do, but I figured you might want to diversify your donations, and I _know_ you want to save lives-"

"Hm, yes, well, that's true, but I'm not sure this is in line with my morals."

". . . Sir? . . ."

"Eli, someday I'll be a very old man. I'll get sick, as everyone does, and my life will depend upon whatever treatment is available. None of us is going to live forever, and I know the value of research, how it saves lives. I'm not denying the importance of medicine, but there are _so_ many ailments that must take priority over this."

"But . . . why? . . ."

"Well, it's not exactly . . . _of_ _concern_ to people like _us_ , now, is it?"

"I . . . I think there's _some_ value in saving lives-"

"The lives of _whom_? Are these _really_ the people we want to be focusing on?"

"Many individuals are dying young-"

"Yes, but they're drug addicts and . . . Well, you know."

"I . . . I know."

"But if you're adamant to support this cause, I suppose we could-"

"No, it's okay. Like you said, it's . . . none of our concern."

". . . Eli?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Are you feeling well?"

"What do you mean, sir?"

"You look troubled."

"Oh. I'm fine, sir. Just tired from staying up all night."

"Right, right, get your rest. Tomorrow, I'd like you to look into endangered parrots in the Amazon. I would like to fund protection efforts."

"Ah . . . so you're going to save rare birds instead of . . . hm."

"Preserving the vulnerable gifts of mother nature will _always_ be more important than individual lives. People come and go, but our legacy is defined by who we choose to save. I don't want the next generation to grow up in a world without such wonders."

"And what about those who _never_ grow up? What about the people who _die_?"

"Well, I think we can both agree that the loss is of less consequence with a disease like AIDS."

". . . I see. Thank you for clarifying."

"I know you have good intentions, Eli. But we must take care of our _own_ above all else. Be thankful that you and I will never know the horror of such a terrible illness."

"I . . . Yes, sir. I'll keep that in mind."

"Good man. Now, about those birds . . ."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Buying groceries was a hassle. Half of the time, I had people asking me to sign glossy photos of my horrible, horrible face, and the other half was spent pretending not to notice disapproving side-glances from the people who knew better than to approach me. Moonwatcher's attempts to sell my life as a story had turned me into something of a celebrity, but not in a _good_ way. It was more like Britney Spears in the late 2000's: my popularity among fans came with the knowledge that one wrong move could end in a mental breakdown. Of course, Britney only had access to an umbrella, whereas if _I_ decided to go rogue, I could probably kill a decent number of people before being gunned down.

(Only if they catch me. And just _think_ of what I could do in the meantime . . .)

I tried to suppress the thought, but was met with a stabbing pain that almost shattered my skull. Luckily, I was at the corner store in part because of these headaches, and there was a decent stock of Tylenol, not that I needed to take more than a human (Somehow, my dosage hadn't changed, though the same wasn't true of tranquilizer darts . . . unless I could also take three as a human, which was doubtful). I grabbed my medicine and threw a few snacks into the shopping basket, just so it wouldn't look like I was having severe medical problems. Thankfully, the cashier (a Rajasaurus named Grace) didn't seem too interested in my purchases.

"No luck catching them swan-killers, then?"

I blinked.

"Pardon?"

"Swan-killers. I assume there's several murderers on the loose, what with them being capable of overpowering an Asterparan and all. I can't think of anyone on this island strong enough to take on a giant bird by themselves, except maybe a couple of dragons with no real motivation. Strange occurrence, though. I wonder why Moonwatcher didn't reveal the identity of the killer. I know it's suspenseful and all, but unless she has this under control, it's dangerous to let murderers run amok- Eli included."

"Mmm."

"'Course, she might not know who the murderer _is_ , which is even _scarier_. I assume she wrote the passage herself, but it could always be another mystery narrator or the auto-narration, in which case, she doesn't have access to every detail."

I've learned to fight my habit of asking questions about these kinds of remarks. I never understand the answer anyway, so why bother?

"Whatever it is, I'm not a fan," I grumbled.

She fluttered her eyelashes, which were covered in glitter, I noticed.

"Aren't you, now? Still haven't changed your mind about the whole _story_ thing, have ye?"

"I don't much like it, no."

"That's a shame, that is. You know, the _other_ Claire released her diary eventually. Read the whole thing, I did. Very revealing."

"Hm."

"And of course there's the erotic stories. Those seem to step over certain boundaries. Not sure if Elkay got Claire's permission to write _those_ , but in any case, I wouldn't put it past Moonwatcher to narrate similar excerpts in secret. If _I_ was in your place, I wouldn't have sex until that's sorted out."

I tapped the counter irritably.

"Won't be a problem."

She screeched with laughter.

"Oh, that's right, the whole _meat grinde_ r thing . . ."

My face fell. I hadn't read through what Moonwatcher had published, both because I didn't want to relive those experiences and because I was afraid of how many breaches of privacy were contained within the text, so learning about her indiscretions was . . . troubling. Now _every_ reader knew about my potentially dangerous reproductive areas, which was pretty much the worst thing I could imagine . . . so far.

"Grace?"

"Yes, Miss Dearing?"

"How does Moonwatcher know everything that's happening?"

"Oh, she doesn't know _everything_ ," she squawked, "Just the interesting bits . . . and the filler too, I suppose. Moonwatcher was given narration-powers by Elkay, which means she has access to certain thoughts, feelings, reflections, and so on. That- plus the stuff you tell her- she incorporates into the narrative."

"Oh."

"I know it seems frivolous. But it's all in service of the cure, right?"

I sighed, rubbing my forehead.

"I don't know, Grace. Moonwatcher tells me that all the writing and merchandise is supposed to raise funds for a cure, but I have to wonder how much she's spending on advertising, and how much she keeps for herself. It would actually go _against_ her financial interest to cure me, with all the money I rake in . . ."

"Ah, well, if you don't mind me saying so, I don't think you even _need_ a cure."

I lifted my chin.

"Pardon?"

"There's nothin' wrong with being a dinosaur- _I_ should know! But in the end, it's up to you. What's important is that it's _your_ choice."

It hadn't even _occurred_ to me that I could go on living as a dinosaur- Well, okay, yes it _had_ \- but it was always in a vague, foggy, not-actually-possible kind of way. The long sought-after cure was my top priority, and seemed like the only acceptable solution to my problem. I wanted to go back to the way things were before, after all.

(Back when Owen was attracted to me.)

I wasn't just doing this for Owen. It was for _myself_ , first and foremost.

(Yeah, because I want Owen to be attracted to me.)

Well, okay, maybe _part_ of it had to do with other people- but Owen wasn't the _only_ person I had to change for, in all fairness. Maisie needed me to be human as well.

(Except she _loves_ having a dinosaur-mom.)

Be that as it may, I couldn't allow myself to stay in the body of a violent creature.

(I can control it, though. And it's not just because Owen's been teaching me. In fact, he might be making things w-)

I drowned out the thought, and the resulting pain nearly brought me to my knees. Grace watched me with concern, but I stumbled to my feet and slid a handful of cash across the counter.

"Keep the change."

As I scooped my purchases into a bag, she batted her eyes.

"Erm, you didn't give me enough . . ."

I winced.

"I'm sorry. I don't understand your currency. Can I get you later?"

She offered a sympathetic look.

"Okay, dearie. You take care of yourself, okay?"

I nodded dizzily, stumbling out into the night.

***TSJWFKFEW***

"Alright, listen up!" Moonwatcher barked as she entered the lab, "Claire's refusing to participate in the narrative until we renegotiate our terms, or at least until she's well enough to go out drinking and get sufficiently intoxicated- to the point that she won't be able to read a contract, just as a random example. In the meantime, I'm going to need a replacement to sniff out our swan-murderer. It was supposed to be Claire's character arc, but life's a bitch, and by life, I mean Claire, and by Claire, I mean that bitch who won't cooperate with her show-runner. So I'm going to get someone else to take her place."

Eli perked up in his cage.

" _I'd_ like to go."

"No, not _you_ ," Moonwatcher clarified, "Sorry for the confusion. I realize now that it sounded like an offer, but it was actually a lead-in to my brilliant plan, which does not involve you. Since Wheatley has Indoraptor DNA, he'll be a perfect candidate for the job."

The saggy dinosaur jumped for joy.

"YA-HOO! You hear that, Mills? I'm getting _out of here_!"

"Good for you," Eli muttered sourly.

"Ah-ah-ah," Moonwatcher interrupted, "I'm not just letting you run free, Wheatley. You have a _job_ to do, and what's more, you're kind of a loose canon, so we need someone to supervise you."

"Like _you_?" Wheatley asked.

"Well, I'll supervise for the first little bit, but I actually had someone _else_ in mind. See, we have a golden opportunity on our hands. If you track down the killer, you'll partly redeem yourself, but you _also_ have to become a better person along the way, and I know the _perfect_ mentor . . ."

"If you're talking about Jesus, you should know that he already loves me."

Eli pressed his snout between the bars of his cage.

"Seriously. Let me out. I'll do a better job."

Wheatley snorted.

"You're just jealous because Jesus thinks you're gross, you lousy qu-"

Eli honked his horn.

"Shut up! Moonwatcher, please, just give me a _chance_ . . ."

She shook her head.

"I'm gonna have to say no. I don't trust you. You've tried to escape one too many times."

Wheatley barked with laughter.

"Ha-ha! You laughed at me when I couldn't get my cage open, but now _I'm_ the one who's . . . laughing . . . at YOU!"

Eli snarled and curled up in the corner of his enclosure.

"Fine. Have fun on your quest for redemption. See you in five minutes."

Moonwatcher rolled her eyes as she unlocked the cage.

"Wheatley's not clever enough to betray me. Plus, I'll be watching him the whole time, via the narration. There is, however, a time limit. I've spoken to our former Queen, the _real_ Claire, and she's graciously allowed us to borrow a spirit from her world. He'll be arriving shortly, but he only has five hours, so you'd better catch our criminal before time runs out. Otherwise, you'll be going back to your cage, no if's, and's, or but's."

Wheatley snorted.

"I can track a bird-killer, no problem. I'll sniff him out like a wet fart in a sauna."

Moonwatcher folded her hands, blinking.

"Not sure what you were going for with that analogy, but I'm hearing 'yes', so we're off to a good start. Now, Ken- I _can_ call you Ken, right?"

"I'd rather you n-"

"Ken, I want you to be on your best behaviour. Remember, it's _your_ ass on the line, plus the asses of any potential murder victims. Are you wiling to cooperate?"

Ken pulled his claw out of his ear, flicking away a small, brown ball of earwax.

"What?"

"Good. Let's meet your new how-to-be-good tutor. You'll be interested to know that he was once a gruff military-type just like you, and he was _also_ a dinosaur who briefly had robot arms- he got his saurian arms back eventually, which is an option for you, if you so choose. You two have a lot in common, so I imagine he'll be the perfect candidate for our reformation program. Just follow his lead, and you'll-"

She screamed as a glowing, transparent dinosaur fell from midair, landing on top of her. He rolled onto his back, and struggled to hoist himself onto his feet. When he was standing upright, he brushed himself off and looked around.

"Did it work? Am I a ghost?"

A very flat Moonwatcher groaned and peeled herself off of the floor.

"Yup . . . Everyone, meet Vic Hoskins."

He helped her to her feet, then looked at Ken and Eli.

"Which one is my student for the day?"

"The cyborg. The _non-car_ cyborg."

He grinned and skipped over to Ken.

"Hi, there! I see you have a robot-arm. I used to have _two_ robot-arms, but I asked for dinosaur-arms because it was getting hard to bake. Don't get me wrong: it's nice to have a spatula at the ready, but when it comes to dough, you _knead_ hands! Ha! Just a little baking humour."

Ken narrowed his eyes.

"There is something _deeply_ wrong with you . . ."

Vic turned to Moonwatcher, silently begging for help, but she simply shrugged in response.

"Sorry, bud. It's up to _you_ , now."

Vic clapped his hands.

"Okay! Let's get started on the murder case, then. Do we have any leads?"

Moonwatcher snapped her fingers with inspiration.

"No, we do not! But I know where to start. Follow me!"

On the way out the door, Vic turned to face Wu's cage.

"Oh, hey! I didn't know there was another-"

He snapped his jaws. Vic yelped and scampered away.

"Nevermind."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Moonwatcher brought Ken and Vic to a small room, which was lit by a single, hanging light. She opened up what looked like an ancient laptop and started typing.

"This computer contains the last backup of a program that Elkay designed to gather information. It knows the answer to all of our questions, so you can ask it whatever you-"

"Why don't you ask it who the murderer was?" Vic suggested.

Moonwatcher's mouth hung open.

"Um . . . right, let me _do_ that . . ."

She clicked an icon, then spasmed dramatically. When she let go of the mouse, she gasped.

"Oh, no! I accidentally deleted the file! Guess we can't look it up after all . . ."

Vic covered his mouth.

"How'd you do _that_?!"

"My finger slipped."

His tail sagged.

"That's too bad. We could have caught the murderer right off the bat."

She smiled sweetly.

"Accidents happen. On the bright side, our fanart folder is still intact. It's constantly being updated, so deleting the all-knowing SuperGoogle actually made room for more PNG files."

She clicked on a folder icon, opening up an assortment of sub-folders. Vic leaned closer to the screen, squinting.

"What does N-S-F-W mean? . . ."

"Um-"

Meanwhile, Ken had grabbed the mouse and clicked it, opening up sub-sub-folders, some of which had hundreds of listed files.

"Hey! That one has my name on it!" Vic gasped excitedly, "And Owen's, too! Did someone draw a picture of us?"

Moonwatcher was sweating profusely.

"You know, I'm not sure you want to-"

Ken clicked again.

"Oh my gosh, there are even _more_ folders!" Vic squeaked, "But what do these labels mean? 'Micro/Macro' . . . 'Inflation' . . . 'Vore' . . ."

He gasped.

"Ooh! Click on 'Assorted Jell-o"! That sounds fun!"

Moonwacther made a grab for the mouse, but it was too late. As soon as Ken opened the folder, the color left Vic's face. He stared at the screen, eyes wide with terror. Moonwatcher gulped and spun around in her rolling chair.

"If it's any comfort, it's not as popular as Claire and Zara diaper porn . . ."

***TSJWFKFEW***

"What's wrong?" Eli asked.

"Nothing . . . I just got a chill for some reason," I replied, "Anyway, as I was saying, I need to find Moonwatcher as soon as possible."

Eli laughed bitterly.

"If you're having medical problems, Claire, the _last_ person you want to tell is _Moonwatcher_. Unless you want half of the island to know about it, for some reason . . ."

I sighed impatiently.

"Eli, once again, I'm sorry about what happened to you, but I might be in _serious trouble_ right now. I'm getting headaches, and I don't know what's causing them."

"Are they random?"

"No. They happen whenever I try to suppress . . . violent thoughts."

"Well, there's your problem."

I scoffed.

"What? Am I not being _violent_ enough?"

"Trying to suppress your feelings is obviously triggering a physical reaction, so you're gonna have to find another way to deal with your impulses."

"Like what? _Acting on them_?"

"No. Unless you can find a way to do that safely."

I wasn't sure what Eli meant by "safely", exactly, since we were talking about an urge to kill and maim, but he did remind me of a . . . recent _occurrence_. Maisie had bought a fancy rat, and obviously Owen assumed that she intended to keep it as a pet, but instead, she brought it to me and asked me if I wanted to-

Yeah.

Now, I would have been concerned for Maisie, but I knew that she wasn't being bloodthirsty or anything. I myself had bought Sally a bug or two to keep her stimulated, so I understood that this was less about killing the rat and more about making me happy. Maisie had done the same thing with carrots and apples, making sure that Owen didn't catch her slipping me treats. I was almost like an oversized pet at this point, and while I didn't particularly enjoy being treated like an animal, Maisie was sweet to think of me, and she was having so much fun that I couldn't say 'no' to her. There was a _huge_ difference between letting her brush my scales and accepting a live feeding-rat, of course, so I should have done anything but what I did next. I didn't _intend_ to snap it up like that. It just sort of . . . _happened_. Maisie was startled by the sudden action, but once the surprise wore off, she simply pet my snout with the same hand that had only a few seconds prior been holding a living, breathing rodent. She ran her hand over my frill and caressed my head, pressing her cheek against mine.

"Owen doesn't feed you enough. It's so _mean_ , only giving you treats when you do tricks for him . . ."

I cleared my throat, still shocked that I had eaten the rat.

"Owen knows what he's doing, sweetheart. He has to be strict, but he's also very kind to me. He has my best interests in mind."

She kissed my front horn.

"I love you, Claire."

"I love you too, Maisie, but-"

"Do you want more rats?"

(Yes!)

"No, that's okay, Maisie. I'm going to turn back into a human soon, and humans don't eat rats."

I remember wondering why she looked so disappointed. Was she upset that I had declined the offer, or that she was going to lose her personal dinosaur?

Anyway, I turned my thoughts away from the memory and focused on Eli.

"Letting the violence spring up helps with my headaches, but it can be dangerous. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"You won't."

I batted my eyes.

"Why not?"

He laughed.

"Well, because you have everything sorted out. You're not the kind of person who _kills_ people."

"Are _you_?"

What a terrible thing to say. I'm not sure what I hoped to accomplish by asking that, and neither did Eli, apparently.

"Well . . . I guess I _must_ be . . ."

He stared into space. I rubbed my arm sheepishly.

"I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from."

He made a weird sound. I kicked my sickled claw idly.

"I don't mean to keep bringing it up, but . . . it's _kind of a big deal_."

Eli's throat wobbled.

"I . . . I know, but he was on his way out anyway, right? He wouldn't have lasted much longer, and- and I did what I needed to do to survive. It wasn't- it wasn't like I-"

He seemed to be talking to himself more than he was me. His gaze was distant, but he shook his head suddenly and snapped back to reality.

"What I did was wrong. It doesn't matter what I was thinking at the time. It was a mistake."

"So you just killed him . . . by accident? . . ."

"No, not by accident. But it was . . . not the right thing to do."

I narrowed my eyes.

"You think _?_ "

He winced.

"Claire, I'd really rather not talk about this."

I shrugged.

"I'm just trying to get a sense of . . . Look, you're acting different, which could mean one of two things. Either you're lying to me like before, or you're genuinely sorry about what you did."

"I'm genuinely sorry about what I did. I'm not lying to you."

"But how can I be sure that you're telling the truth?"

"Because I'm not a murderer. I mean- okay, _technically_ I killed a man, but it was . . . Shit. I'm not going to justify it. I don't want to- Okay, okay. What I'm getting at is this: I made a mistake, and it's a mistake that I'm going to carry with me for the rest of my life. I fucked up. But I didn't _mean_ to be . . . Look, it's not in my _nature_ , okay? I was forced into a corner, and-"

"You're justifying it again."

He squeezed his eyes shut.

"Fuck. Listen, you know that's not what I'm trying to do. There's no way to explain it to you without sounding like-"

"Like you had a reason for doing what you did?"

"Yes, exactly!"

"Most criminals have motivations, but that doesn't make it right."

"No, no, I know. I know, I know, I know. But I'm not the kind of person who _kills_ people."

"But you _did_ . . . so it kind of seems like you _are_ . . ."

A deep pain clouded his visage.

"Please, Claire, don't _say_ that! . . . I don't want you to think that I'm a _murderer_!"

I tapped my claws.

"I know I sound like a broken record, but you shouldn't have murdered someone in the first place. That's all there is to it."

He retreated deeper into his cage.

"Claire, you said that you saw some good in me-"

"I never said that."

"Well, that's what I _heard_. I need you to know that I'm trying to fix what I did, and even if that's not possible, it doesn't make it who I am now . . ."

I sighed.

"Eli-"

"Claire, I have nothing left. Just a dim, wavering hope that things will get better. But it's looking like I'm going to be stuck this way forever, that I'll never be able to have a normal life . . . I mean, _you_ have something to look forward to. Moonwatcher's doing everything she can to make you human again, but as for me . . . Well, she just doesn't _care_. _No one_ cares. I'm alone. More alone than I've ever been in my life. I don't know how much longer I can survive this . . ."

I clenched my jaw.

"If you stop taking your medication again, I swear to god-"

He shook his head quickly.

"No, I don't want to die that way. I've thought about it, but . . . I don't want there to be suffering."

"Eli, stop."

He bit his lip.

"I'm not trying to scare you, Claire, but I'm _really_ not doing well."

"That's not my problem."

"I know. I'm not saying it is. Far from it. But there's no one I can go to for help. I'm hanging on a thread, just like before . . ."

"Before?"

He gulped.

"Can I tell you a secret, Claire?"

"Sure . . ."

"Ben and I weren't exactly . . . _close_."

I cocked my head, frowning.

"No, I imagine not . . ."

"We were _friendly_ with each other, but I was scared to death of the man."

"Kind of ironic . . ."

"Not ironic: counterintuitive. There's a difference. Anyway, when I took the job, I started off thinking that we'd be working together as friends, but along the way, I realized that your boss is _never_ your friend. At the end of the day, if you fuck up, you're _done_. No matter how much sympathy they may have for you, they're your employer first, and your friend second. And that's not a healthy relationship."

"Uh-huh. What does this have to do with what we were talking about?"

His lip quivered.

"Well, I was constantly afraid of screwing up, so-"

"So you decided to betray him and get it over with?"

He frowned.

"No. I wasn't _honest_ with him, but I lied out of _fear_ , not malice. I knew what I had to do to ensure the growth of his fortune, but he would _never_ have let me go through with it."

"And rightly so."

". . . and rightly so," Eli conceded, "The years I spent working for Ben Lockwood were some of the most stressful I've ever had to endure. I'd be amazed if it didn't knock a few years off my lifespan. I don't know why I ever thought I could be successful. It was miserable from start to finish. I remember the first time I met you, I thought to myself, 'Why the hell hasn't someone put _her_ in charge? _She_ deserves this position, not _me_ ,' I was a little scared that you'd take my job, actually. And be better at it."

I thought about the disaster that had led to the collapse of Jurassic World. Somehow, I doubted that I could have avoided such a catastrophe in Eli's position, though I would have had a cleaner record on the whole 'murder' front, without a doubt.

Eli rocked back and forth on his wheels slowly.

"I felt like such a _nobody_ , and that feeling never went away. I had hoped that I'd find the courage to be proud of myself once I got to where I am now . . . or where I _was_ a few weeks ago, rather."

He sighed and looked over his shoulder, letting his tail curl slightly.

"I guess this is what I deserved all along. But it still feels too good for me . . ."

I took a deep breath.

"Eli, when I met you, I thought that you had everything figured out, too."

He chuckled bitterly.

"Guess you were wrong."

"No, that's not what I meant. Listen, Eli, _I_ felt the same way about _my_ job. When we met, I couldn't believe that I was rubbing elbows with successful people like you. I was probably just as afraid of fucking up as _you_ were."

He smiled sadly.

"Well, I guess we're just a couple of imposters. The difference is, _I_ was actually right about myself."

I shifted my shoulders uncomfortably.

"Well, considering the way things turned out at the park, I didn't exactly do so hot _either_ . . ."

He waved his paw dismissively.

"Nah, that wasn't your fault. It could have happened to anyone."

"I shouldn't have let them create a monster."

"Me neither."

I smiled.

"I guess you didn't learn from my mistake, huh?"

He tightened his lips.

"Ah, well . . . I thought I could do it better. I guess we can call that hubris."

"Still not irony?"

"Not even close."

"Hm. You'll have to explain that to me."

He sat down cautiously.

"I could spare some time, if you wanna wait for Moonwatcher to return . . ."

"Sure thing."

I tried not to notice how happy this made him.

***TSJWFKFEW***

"Look, we have no control over what the fans create," Moonwatcher said as she led Vic and Ken out of the compound, "Half the time, they're bitching that we got a date wrong or didn't properly distinguish between juvenile and mature dinosaurs based on their skull-shape or whatever, and that's when they're not obsessing over references to past instalments. By the way, Sorna still exists. Did that add anything to your reading experience? Did it fill the emptiness in your soul? No, it did not, so go buy a Funko Pop Raptor and leave me alone!"

Ken looked around.

"Who are you talking to?"

"Those shitbags."

". . . You're pointing at nothing."

She narrowed her eyes.

"They know who they are . . ."

She flipped off the same empty space, then put her hands on her hips.

"Guys, I gotta head off soon. Claire needs me to fix her headaches or whatever the fuck, so are you two okay on your own?"

Vic nodded.

"We'll be fine."

She smiled and slapped his arm.

"Good Vic. I'll see you later, unless I don't, in which case, bye!"

He watched her leave, and when she was out of earshot, he lowered his voice to conspire.

"Listen, there's a lot at stake. I took this job so that I could see my widow. I need to tell her that my death wasn't her fault. I don't think we have much of a chance as far as solving this murder case goes, but I think I can help you change your ways, which might be enough to convince Moonwatcher that I deserve to spend my last few hours with Zara. What will it take to get you to be a good person?"

Ken rubbed his chin.

"Hey, how about you help me with a project? If we do well, I promise to be my best self."

"Great! What did you have in mind?"

***TSJWFKFEW***

"So you see, if you're diabetic and get hit by a truck full of sugar, that's _almost_ irony, but what would be _really_ ironic is getting hit by a truck full of insulin."

"I see. And rain on your wedding day is-"

"Not ironic in the slightest."

"I was kidding."

Eli smiled.

"I know. I'd say that most of the time, people confuse irony for hypocrisy. It's a very easy mistake to make, but once you grasp irony in its truest form, you- Why are you laughing?"

I covered my mouth.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it! Most of your body language is hand gestures, and now that you're a dinosaur . . ."

He looked down at his tiny arms, then rolled his eyes.

"Christ. Don't let me do that in front of Owen, or I'll never hear the end of it."

"I think it's cute."

"Yeah, which is why he'd make fun of me. Owen's the kind of person who would shove kids like me into lockers at high school."

I looked him over. With tires like that, he could squish Owen flat in a millisecond.

"I don't think that's very likely."

After a pause, I bit my lip.

"Eli?"

"Yes?"

"Do you . . . do you ever get the urge to _kill_ people?"

He frowned, hurt. I cleared my throat.

"Like, on an instinctual level, I mean. From the dinosaur part of your brain."

He shook his head.

"I don't feel any different from before. I mean, if anything, I've been _less_ violent after changing, statistically speaking . . ."

He leaned against the side of his cage.

"No, I don't think I'm any different. I see Zia chasing squirrels in the park, Mr. Eversoll eating thistles in the forest, but I'm just sitting here being Eli, like I always am, but in a different body."

"Maybe you were as aggressive as a dinosaur when you were human," I joked.

"No, that's not it . . . I was a _coward_. Always have been. Still am. I wish I could feel more of a connection with my body, but it's so different from everything I know . . . and I realize that it's mine, I don't feel _uncomfortable_ . . . but I'm ashamed that I look like this, because no one will ever give me a chance now."

I cocked my head, feeling alarmingly sympathetic towards his plight.

"But I suppose it doesn't matter, anyway," he breathed, "Even if people move past the way I look, there's nothing of value to be found. I did something horrible. It's exactly the kind of thing a monster would do, but I _still_ don't feel like my inside matches my outside. I'm a big, hulking machine with the mind of a self-hating coward. All in all, I'm as broken as I was before, but _now_ I have to go on knowing that I'm just as worthless as I always suspected."

He stared ahead sadly, then noticed the way I was looking at him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go off on a tangent like that . . ."

"That's okay. I understand. It sucks, being a dinosaur."

"Yup. But on the bright side, you're not in this alone."

"Yeah, I guess we're kind of going through the same thing right now."

He pulled his head back with surprise.

"What? No, I was talking about _Owen_. You have someone who loves you, who doesn't care that you're a dinosaur."

"Oh, he _cares_ all right."

I was caught off guard by the resentment in my own voice. Eli was, too.

"Um . . ."

I gulped.

"I mean, we try our best, but . . . I dunno. There are lots of lines in the sand."

"Hm."

I rubbed the space between my eyes.

"I suppose Moonwatcher told you about the meat grinder thing."

"If you're referring to your . . . um . . . then, yes. She told me."

I sighed and curled my tail around my feet.

"I feel disgusting."

"You're not disgusting."

"Well, how would _you_ feel if having sex put other people in d-"

I choked a little.

"Oh. Right."

Eli twisted his mouth.

"If I'm on my meds, there's no risk of infection . . . but I could never go through with it, regardless. I just felt so . . . _ruined_. It took me a long time to stop internalizing that shit. I'm still not fully comfortable with . . . I'm sorry, this is too much information."

"Well, we've already discussed the meat grinder thing, so . . ."

He nodded.

"I'm sorry you feel that way about your body, Claire, but I just want you to know that this wasn't your fault. People might tell you that you're dirty or sinful or an abomination, but that doesn't make it true, no matter how much it hurts."

I felt my heart twinge.

"Thank you, Eli."

"Don't thank me: it's just the truth."

I smiled shyly, but when the doors swung open, I jumped ten feet off the ground. Owen came marching in with Iris by his side.

"Claire, you wouldn't believe what just happened! I was talking to this crocodile-looking chick outside the building, and she says that she knew the Henry Wu from _this_ world before he died. She wanted to come see the other one, but she was afraid it'd make her new boyfriend jealous."

I looked over at Wu, who was snoring on his side, holding Nectarine between his claws like a stuffed animal. Drool trickled down his chin in thick gobs.

"Not sure why she'd be worried about _that_ . . ."

Owen chuckled.

"That's not the weirdest part! She said that there was a raptor named Charlie who died too, but get this- it wasn't _my_ Charlie. There _is_ a version of my Charlie in another world, though. She's a _human lawyer_!"

"Neat."

We both turned our heads as Moonwatcher scampered through an open vent on Eli's side of the room.

"Let the records show that TSJPFEW did Charlie-raptor first!"

She coughed up a dust bunny.

"Heard you needed me. What's the trouble?"

I cleared my throat.

"Nothing, nothing . . . I had a headache, but it's gone now."

She blinked.

"Oh . . . okay . . ."

Owen rubbed the back of his neck.

"If all's well, can we grab a bite to eat?"

I perked up.

"Sure! Is Iris coming too?"

She shook her head.

"I'm here to speak with Mr. Mills."

Eli, who seemed disappointed that I was leaving, became utterly petrified. Iris turned and gave me a pointed stare.

"Alone."

I gestured towards the door to make sure that Owen was ready to leave. He nodded, following me as I lumbered forward with my head held low. When I looked over my shoulder, I saw Eli gazing at me with pleading eyes. I frowned apologetically and closed the doors behind me. I waited just long enough to hear the beginning of the conversation.

"I've been made aware of your medical situation, and I just wanted to say-"

I turned away quickly.

Despite everything, I felt really, _really_ bad for Eli.

***TSJWFKFEW***

"Are you _sure_ you're okay with this?" Vic asked a giant, pink bunny as Ken tied a string around her front tooth.

"Ow, fo showe!" she lisped, "My teef nevuh stob gwowing."

Ken tied the other end of the string to a doorknob.

"Ain't it lucky we happened to find a willing participant? I thought _no one_ would agree to this . . ."

The rabbit shrugged.

"I wath jus pathing thu, bud I'm alwath wiwing do hewb oud wib-"

Ken slammed the door shut. After a pause, the rabbit bounded up into the air and dashed down the hall, yelping in pain. Vic waved hesitantly.

"Bye, Jay-Jay . . ."

Ken reached down and picked up her bloody tooth.

"Nice one. Now we just need four more . . ."

***TSJWFKFEW***

"I've been made aware of your medical situation, and I just wanted to say that I'm truly, _truly_ sorry."

"W-wait. What? . . ."

"I know how Benjamin felt about . . . I mean, I always wondered why you got so antsy whenever those subjects came up, but I just _assumed_ -"

"It's fine, Iris. Really."

"Why didn't you _tell_ me?"

"I . . . I didn't tell _anyone_. I'm sorry if you wanted me to disclose-"

"No, no, of course not. You don't owe me an explanation. I'm just saddened by this whole affair. I'm sorry if I ever gave you reason to doubt that I'd be anything but sympathetic."

"I don't understand . . ."

"Mr. Mills, I know we haven't been on the best of terms, but I always assumed that you were unkind to me because it was in your nature. I never once considered that you might be dealing with demons of your own."

"Iris, I wasn't- I . . . I didn't act the way I did because of what I was going through. Not _entirely_ , anyway . . ."

"I can't imagine how terrified you must have been. It breaks my heart, even _thinking_ about it. And Benjamin- God rest his soul- he was a good man, but he was not without his flaws, and thinking back . . . Good grief, you must have felt so _alone_."

"I . . . I _did_ , but that doesn't matter. It doesn't excuse-"

"No, of course not. I'm not saying it does. But I wish I had been able to reach out sooner, to let you know that you're not alone."

"Iris, it wasn't up to you to-"

"I have endometriosis."

"Oh . . . oh my god, I'm so s-"

"Yes, yes, I know. When I told Benjamin . . . instead of receiving the support I was hoping for, I was told to keep quiet, to not complain about it. He said that if it got in the way of my duties, I'd be let go."

"Iris, I'm so sorry . . ."

"That was early on. I had just graduated from nursing school, and I was so happy to have a stable job . . . I let him get away with it. I said nothing, keeping a stiff upper lip and carrying on. But it ate away at my gut- his remarks, not the endometriosis. But also the endometriosis."

"Ah."

"I felt disgusted by my own body, and even more disgusted with myself for having told him."

"That's awful . . ."

"Yes, it was, but I see now that I'm not alone, that I wasn't the only person he hurt. I'm not saying that it justifies what you did- it certainly does NOT- but I understand your pain, in some ways. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm never too far away."

"Iris . . . Thank you . . ."

"It's the very least I can do. Owen told me that you've been trying to atone for what you did. He said it was impossible, but I beg to differ. I choose to show empathy, though it's conditional, of course. I hope you prove everyone wrong."

"I hope so, too."

"Good. I must go. I left Maisie with Franklin, and I'm afraid she'll have put him in danger by now."

"I . . . wouldn't doubt it. Goodbye, Iris. And thank you, again."

"Goodbye, Mr. Mills."

"Eli is fine."

"Goodbye, Eli."

***TSJWFKFEW***

As Iris exited through the double doors, Ken entered with Vic by his side. Eli quirked a brow.

"Back already?"

"We need a tooth!" Vic exclaimed, "I won't be allowed to see Zara, otherwise!"

"I'm sorry, I must be missing something . . ."

"Please, can you spare a tooth?" Vic asked again, eyes glimmering.

Eli leaned forward with interest.

"Would this count as a good deed?"

"Absolutely."

He lowered his head.

"Alright, you can take a tooth. Just make sure it's near the back: I don't want to look worse than I already do."

Ken rubbed his hand together greedily and reached for Eli's mouth. His eyes went wide.

"Wait, wait, wait! Aren't you going to use a tranquilizer or something? . . ."

Ken's robot-arm started clicking into position.

"Don't worry. It'll be quick."

"Wheatley, don't you d-"

Before he could get away, Ken reached forward and clamped his metallic fingers around a tooth. As Eli pulled his head back, there was a loud snap, and the tip broke off. He howled in pain.

"JESUS CHRIST, WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE-"

The doors slammed open, and Moonwatcher dashed forward with a tranquilizer gun in her arms. Eli's eyes went wide.

"Wait! I wasn't causing trouble! It was-"

He swayed back and forth as a dart pierced his neck. He landed heavily on his chin, groaning woozily. Moonwatcher put her hands on her hips.

"Okay, now that I've fired my gun, can someone tell me what's going on?"

Vic gulped.

"This was _my_ fault. I intended to shirk my responsibilities and spend time with Zara."

"I see. Well, she's hanging out with Iris right now. They're being British together or something. But tell me, did you figure out who the murderer is?"

Vic's tail curled between his legs.

"No."

She hummed.

"That's okay. It's not important. Did you learn a friendship lesson, at least?"

Vic put his hands behind his back.

"You'd have to ask Ken . . ."

Moonwatcher turned and noticed that Ken was distracted by a set of teeth dangling from a fine thread. He stopped spinning them around and blinked, clueless.

"Sorry, what?"

"Did you learn a friendship lesson?" she repeated.

"Like what?"

"I don't know . . . _sharing_?"

Ken snorted.

"Are you _kidding_? Vic didn't even give me one of his teeth!"

He slapped his forehead.

"Because I'm a _ghost_! I would have helped you, otherwise . . ."

Ken laughed.

"Yeah, right! You're just doing this so you can see your wife. You don't care about _me_."

"I may find you disagreeable, but I care about _everyone_."

Moonwatcher twisted her mouth.

"Hmph. Looks like this was a big ol' waste of time. You ready to go home, Vic?"

He shook his head.

"No! I haven't seen Z-"

"Yeah, well, you kind of blew your shot by slacking off, so . . ."

Vic lowered his head. After a pause, Ken sighed loudly.

"Listen, it wasn't his fault. I encouraged him to come with me on a tooth-gathering mission. You can lock me up for being rotten, but don't keep Vic away from his widow on account of me."

Moonwatcher crossed her arms.

"It's uncharacteristically generous of you to admit that you were behind this, whether it's true or not."

He pouted.

"It's _partly_ true, but at the end of the day, I'm just glad to have made a friend."

He held out his necklace.

"I want _you_ to have this, Vic."

As he placed it around his neck, it fell through his ghostly essence and dropped to the floor.

". . . It's the thought that counts," Vic said with a shrug.

Moonwatcher rubbed her chin.

"Wow, you just gave up the one thing you care about most. If that's not a bookend to your character arc, I don't know what _is_! Alright, you're both free to go. I think we solved this predicament rather nicely."

Vic beamed.

"You mean I can visit Zara?"

"Sure."

She choked as he lifted her in a tight hug.

"GAK! Why am I the only thing you can touch? . . ."

He squealed gleefully.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! I'll never forget what you did for me today!"

He dashed away, tail wagging behind him. Moonwatcher gave a little salute to Ken as she walked backwards towards the door.

"Go ask Gunnar to set you up in a hotel room. See if Zia and Franklin wanna switch roommates too. I don't know how you intend to organize that combo, but figure it out. I'll check up on you in a day or two."

"Sure thing!" Ken grinned.

"Alright. I'm proud of you, you deformed, reformed retrosaur!"

When the doors closed behind her, he burst out laughing.

"Hey, Mills! Did you _see_ that? I pulled a fast one on 'em!"

Eli growled as he recovered from effects of the tranquillizer dart.

"You shouldn't take advantage of them like that!"

Ken pouted.

"Aw, you're just jealous because you're still locked up in a cage . . ."

Eli roared.

"Piss off! This is _so_ unfair! I've been doing everything I can to win these people over, but they just don't seem to _care_!"

"Maybe you should try harder."

He flexed his claws.

"I'm trying as hard as I possibly can! But here _you_ are, flying free as a bird because you _faked_ kindness!"

"Eh, well, if they can't tell the difference . . ."

Eli grumbled, kicking his wheels angrily.

"Why won't they give _me_ a chance? It's hard enough admitting to _myself_ that I fucked up, but I can't seem to make things right with _anyone_. You're _just_ as bad as me, if not _worse_!"

Ken chuckled.

"With all due respect, Mills, I never _murdered_ anybody. _I_ was smart enough to let the universe take care of things, but _you_ went the extra mile. Good on you for committing to the part. Even if it bit you in the ass, it just goes to show how low you were willing to sink to save your own skin."

Eli didn't respond. Ken grinned and picked up the discarded necklace.

"Lemme know how things work out with the chain gang . . . and thanks for the tooth!"

He cackled on his way out the door, leaving Eli behind. He ran his tongue over the half-tooth, tasting gasoline instead of blood. In the cage beside him, a very drowsy Spinosaurus snorted and lifted his head.

"I think the tea that woman gave me was drugged. Did I miss anything?"

Eli continued to stare at the door.

"She put a chip inside of you without your consent earlier today. Now they'll be able to track you if you try to run."

Wu ran his paws down his neck, shivering.

"Where did she put it?"

"I'm not allowed to tell you."

He sneered.

"Oh, come on! I told you the code to your cage!"

"Right before abandoning me at the beach, if I recall correctly."

"You would have never figured it out on your own."

Eli gulped.

"I would have figured it out. Once Claire gave away yours, the pattern became clear."

"But they've changed it since then, right?"

"Yes. But I've figured out the new codes."

"Tell me."

"I won't tell you yours, but I'll tell you mine, in case I have another medical emergency and require immediate attention. It's 8922."

"Why's that?"

"I'd rather not say."

"Why? Would it give me a clue about mine?"

"No. Moonwatcher's just cruel, that's all."

Wu snuffed.

"Seems like that's true of most people on this island."

Eli lowered his head.

"No . . . just us."

"Us?"

"Me."

He lay on his side.

"Just me."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Jay-Jay the rabbit groaned and pressed a cotton swab against her bleeding gums. Her mouth was redder than her bottlebrush tail, and ten times as prickly. The intense pain, however, did not distract her from the thump of approaching footsteps. Her ears pricked and turned instinctively towards the noise. Moonwatcher emerged from the bushes.

"Hello . . ."

Jay-Jay's nose twitched.

"G'day."

"It's six at night. What are you doing, wandering these parts alone?"

"What 'parts'? It all looks like jungle to _me_ . . ."

"It- Look, just tell me why you're here."

"Came looking for Serena, but I guess if she's dead, there's not much point."

"I see. And did Serena tell you that she intended to seek out Elkay?"

"No. I don't doubt it, though."

"Do you intend to do the same?"

"No. Never much cared for dragons."

Moonwatcher's hand slid down from her hip.

"Alright, then. Perhaps you should return to Asterpara."

"Right-o!"

She hopped away, but paused after a few leaps.

"Say, did you ever find out what happened to Serena?"

"No. We never found the body. But there hasn't been another stabbing since then, so I think we're in the clear."

She gave a half-toothless grin.

"Great! Toodle-oo!"

Moonwatcher waved goodbye, then turned around.

"By the way, Claire's still getting headaches. I'm gonna trust you guys not to tell her that I'm still narrating from her perspective. I have her best interests at heart, and I can't help her unless I have full access to her daily life. We cool?"

She smiled.

"We cool."


	10. Eli's Snazzy Rubber Wheels

I stopped shopping at Grace's store when I realized that she was keeping secrets from me. There were red flags before then, of course. She was absolutely thrilled to have been included in the narrative, which was _never_ a good sign when it came to judging people's morals. When she told me about her role in the text, I wondered whether it had come before or after I negotiated boundaries with Moonwatcher. I was relieved to discover that it _had_ , but as I kept reading, I stumbled upon a major violation of our contract, and realized that Grace had taken heed of the narrator's request to keep said indiscretion a secret. Apparently, she valued her own minute fame over my privacy. I wasn't even mad. We weren't friends, so this wasn't some big betrayal. To Grace, I was a celebrity, not a human being with thoughts and feelings of my own. I mean, I currently _wasn't_ a human being, but I'm speaking metaphorically. And of course, celebrities have thoughts and feelings too, but there's an emotional disconnect between fans and their idols. It's hard to grasp the humanity of public figures- of _anyone_ , really. We can't divorce ourselves from our own perspectives, so the best we can do is imagine what another person might be going through and try to understand their feelings secondhand. But it's not quite the same, is it? There will _always_ be a hint of abstraction in the connections we make, and that's a pretty scary thought.

Anyway, I paid my tab at the corner store and left the building for the last time . . . probably. I wasn't keen to frequent the joint, in any case.

I realized too late that Grace would probably find out about my change of heart. I hoped Moonwatcher would skip over my soliloquy, but I knew I wasn't lucky enough to get my wish. I ought to stop dwelling on these thoughts, since inner conflict seemed to be a favourite of hers. I couldn't exactly clear my mind of all pondering, nor avoid reflecting upon important aspects of my life, but there was no avoiding the fact that this gave my narrator storytelling ammo. No matter what I did, she'd find a way to convert my stream of consciousness into narration. It didn't even have to be _good_ , as long as it was bankable. My misery was a commodity. My joy, less so. But maybe that was just because there hadn't been enough happiness to go around lately.

And speaking of depression, things hadn't been improving with Owen. They hadn't been getting any _worse_ , mind you, but we weren't exactly in a good place, relationship-wise. One night, I had a dream that I was living with him and Maisie in my childhood home, except I was a dinosaur. There was nothing _upsetting_ about the dream; we just kind of . . . went on living. I didn't even _notice_ that my dinosaur self didn't belong in this picture. It was only when I woke up that I realized there was a disconnect between my body and its surroundings. Somehow, my mind had sidestepped the fact that being a dinosaur isolated me from the world I once knew. I had to wonder, then, if most of my problems had to do with the way other people treated me, or how I _expected_ them to treat me. Living life as a dinosaur was unacceptable, based on everything I'd been taught. It just . . . it wasn't _normal_. It was _wrong_. Only . . . only maybe it _wasn't_. I was still myself, and maybe even a more honest version of myself. My friends loved me, Maisie loved me, and I . . . well, I liked _myself_. Not the violent parts, obviously, but the other stuff . . . You know, I was really getting used to my legs. I liked to run, I liked to bury my claws in the earth, I liked to feel like a part of nature . . . I was becoming the "me" I was born to be. And it was _terrifying_. How could I love myself when so many people _didn't_? I was a _monster_ , according to the standards I'd grown up with. And yet I could see myself living a happy life like this, as long as other people accepted me . . . which they _never would_. Crushed by this realization, I wept into my paws, staining my pillow with salty dinosaur-tears. Beside me, Owen shifted. I tried to quiet myself down, but he was already awake. He reached out and touched my shoulder.

"Hey, Claire . . . Don't be upset. We'll find a cure. I promise."

Oh, what had I gotten myself into? . . .

***TSJWFKFEW***

I was grazing with Gunnar when I noticed that Maisie was acting somewhat forlorn. She was sitting with her back to us, picking blades of grass one by one. I trotted over, swishing my tail delicately.

"Hey, baby girl. I can take a break from grazing if you want to play dinosaurs . . ."

"No, that's okay."

I bit my lower beak.

"Oh . . . Do you wanna play 'Tar Pit', then? Gunnar can be the victim."

He lifted his head.

"Why do you always cast me as a rotting corpse?"

"It's what you do best, Gunnar."

He rolled his eyes and went back to grazing.

"Maisie, are you doing okay?" I asked, nudging her with my beak.

She rolled a chunk of dirt between her fingers.

"Have you ever believed one thing your entire life, only for it to not be true?"

(She knows!)

My plates and quills went rigid.

"N-no . . ."

She looked away.

"Oh."

I sucked my beak nervously.

"I mean . . . _maybe_. It depends what we're talking about."

"I'm not sure if I'm a real person."

My jaw dropped.

"Maisie, _of course_ you're a real person! Why-"

"I don't have any parents."

(You have _me_!)

Somehow, the words got stuck in my throat.

"Y-you have . . . I'm . . . had . . . here?"

She didn't seem to notice my word vomit. Her lip was quivering.

"I thought . . . I thought I couldn't remember her because I was so little when she died. Whenever grandpa told me about my mother, I felt . . . _bad_. Like it was wrong that I couldn't remember her like _he_ did. Mothers are supposed to be the most important person in your life, and I thought there must be something wrong with me if I had forgotten her so easily. And I tried _so_ hard to think of a memory . . . I thought I remembered her smiling down at me, but it was all made up in my head. I never _had_ a mother, which means I don't . . . I don't _fit_ like I thought I did."

I curled my fingers over her shoulders.

"Maisie, this is where you belong. Owen and I, we're going to take care of you."

"Because you got stuck with me?"

"No, sweetheart, because we _love_ you."

Her eyes were wet.

"But how am I any different from the dinosaurs? You decided that they didn't belong here, and I-"

I lifted her in a tight hug.

"Maisie, forget about what happened in the basement, okay? I made a mistake. I shouldn't have doubted myself. We don't measure the value of life based on where a person comes from, or how they fit in with everyone else. Every living creature deserves to be respected."

"What about the monster?"

(Which one?)

"The Indoraptor? . . ." I asked.

She nodded.

"It was so _evil_ , Claire. And it came from a lab, like me."

I shook my head.

"Maisie, you're not a monster. The Indoraptor wanted to _hurt_ us. It was a monster because of the way it behaved. Where you come from doesn't matter: it's who you _choose_ to be."

"But I don't even know what I _am_!" she sobbed.

I stroked her hair.

"But you know _who_ you are, right? You're mischievous, you're sweet, you're brave, and you're very resourceful when you need to be. You're an extraordinary person, Maisie, and don't you ever doubt it."

She sniffled and stroked my snout.

"And you're a spectacular dinosaur."

I smiled and nuzzled her cheek. She held me close.

"Do you _have_ to change back?"

( _FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!_ )

"I . . . I mean, I'm _going_ to," I stuttered.

She looked me in the eyes, and I felt my heart bubbling with guilt. I forced a smile.

"But- But I can be just as fun when I'm _human_ , right? I mean, we can still play dinosaurs-"

"It won't be the same."

Her hands slipped from my cheeks, and she turned away. I cocked my head, then crept up behind her.

"You want the real thing, huh?"

She nodded, rubbing her arm sadly. I quirked a brow.

"Well, Maisie, I can promise you one thing . . . if I change back, it won't stop me from giving you pony-rides!"

I lunged forward, scooping her up in my arms and draping her over my neck. She squealed with delight and held on as I zipped through the grass. Nearby, Gunnar tossed his head with agitation. I slowed to a stop.

"Nervous?"

"I don't like sudden movement," he grumbled.

I shot Maisie a naughty smirk, which she returned. As Gunnar bent over to pull up another mouthful of grass, I barked loudly, sending him running. Maisie giggled uncontrollably. As she fell off my neck, I caught her and rolled onto my back, lifting her between my feet. She reached out and grabbed my front horn.

"It's possible that you'll stay this way forever, right?"

My eyes went wide.

"Uh-"

"You said ' _if_ I change back.' Is there a chance that you won't stop being a dinosaur?"

I gulped.

"Maisie . . ."

"Please don't change, Claire. I like you just the way you are."

Oh, god, that melted my heart. How could I say "no" to her? . . .

"Maisie, I know you like me as a dinosaur, but I'll still be the same person if- _when_ I change back. It's just the outside that'll be different."

"But you're already so _cool_ . . ."

I let out a long breath.

"Maisie, I'm still not . . . _well_. I know you like having a dinosaur around, but we have to make sure that we're not putting you in harm's way. If I lose control-"

She looked terrified, but I had painted myself into a corner. I gulped.

"If I lose control, they might have to take me away."

I thought I had spared her the torment of worrying that I'd harm her, but this news distressed her even more.

"Don't go, Claire! I don't want you to go!"

I held her in my arms, rocking back and forth slowly.

"I won't go, Maisie, I promise. We're going to stick together, now and always."

She was sobbing hysterically.

"I don't want them to take you away! You're the only family I have left!"

I felt tears pricking at my eyes too. I took a shaky breath and pressed her against my chest.

"Owen and I will never, _ever_ leave you. We'll be here whenever you need us, and if you want us to stay with you forever, that's what we'll do."

She grabbed a handful of my scales, squeezing tight.

"If they try to keep us apart, I'll find you, Claire. I won't let _you_ be alone either."

She hugged my head again, resting her cheek against the part of my frill that covered my forehead. As she rubbed my snout, I found myself purring. Christ, was I part _cat_? I didn't have time to ponder this notion, however, for I noticed something very unusual. On the horizon, I could just make out a pair of wings creaking up and down, up and down . . . They glistened with a hundred changing patterns, strung along by a shifting tapestry of technicolor sequins. I was dazzled by the sight, and soon decided that this was the closest I'd ever come to being high. Beneath these magnificent wings was the body of a butterfly, and lower still was a familiar face. Jen waved at me in what seemed like slow motion, further contributing to the hallucinatory effect. My heart skipped a beat when the flying insect let her go. She dropped down to Earth, pulling into her shell as she spun around like a swirly carrot. She hit the ground and bounced a couple of times before rolling to a stop at my feet. I feared she might be dead, but her antennae reemerged from the spiral cone, and her smiling face appeared soon after.

"Hello . . . Claire . . ."

"Jen! What are _you_ doing here?"

"I've . . . decided . . . to-"

Okay, for the sake of time, I'm just going to repeat what she said at normal speed.

"I've decided to study your chiropteran condition, so I hitched a ride with my caterpillar friend!"

Maisie looked up at the winged creature, who was hovering over the island.

"Don't you mean 'butterfly'?"

Jen scoffed.

" _He_ was _born_ a _caterpillar_."

I cocked my head.

"And then . . . _became_ a butterfly? . . ."

Jen rolled her eyes.

"You're either one or the other. You can't just _change your mind_ halfway through life."

"Wh-"

She slapped one bean-hand over the other.

"Listen, if you're _born_ a caterpillar, that's what you _are_. Just because you enter a pupa stage, liquify your entire body, and reemerge with completely different biology doesn't mean you're all of a sudden a butterfly!"

I pursed my beak.

"It kind of . . . _does_ . . . though? . . ."

She snorted, inching forward as she spoke.

"Whatever. I can't be expected to keep track of this stuff. _You_ can call him a 'butterfly' if you want, but _I_ know a caterpillar when I _see_ one."

I looked up at the definitely-not-a-caterpillar floating through the clouds.

"Are you . . . are you just _unfamiliar_ with the process of metamorphosis? . . ."

She crossed her arms.

"Don't tell me you _believe_ in that frass! First the tadpoles, now _you_ . . ."

In all fairness, that's not even the weirdest thing to come out of frog DNA. But I kept my mouth shut.

". . . and don't even get me _started_ on slugs!" Jen snipped, "They're just a dumpier version of snails."

"I mean, no arguments _there_ . . ."

Her eyes darted ( _slowly_ darted) back and forth.

"They're planning a secret alliance with the hermit crabs, you know. Once they have the technology, they'll be wearing fake shells, and we won't be able to tell who the _real_ snails are."

"I'm guessing you're not a fan of turtles either."

"I prefer Milk Duds," she said with a shrug, "Anyway, I was wondering if you've been experimenting with your bat-powers at all."

I shook my head.

"Things have been so hectic with my training . . . I'm having trouble being a _dinosaur_ , nevermind a _bat_!"

Maisie smiled and scratched my chin.

"You're an _excellent_ dinosaur, Claire!"

Did that count as a compliment? I sure _took it_ as one. But that was just because I felt good about myself, knowing that I was loved.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Once I dropped off Maisie at Iris' hotel room, I made my way down to the pond for a swim. It was more private than the hotel's swimming pool, and it didn't have the stench of chlorine that irritated me ten times as much as when I was human. I was surprised to see a familiar figure by the water. It was none other than Eli Mills, lying on his belly, fast asleep. I took a step back, but stepped on a twig, making a loud snap. His eyes fluttered open.

"Sorry, I fell asleep. Where w-"

When he realized who he was talking to, he jumped.

"Claire! Sorry, I thought you were Moonwatcher! She told me to wait here until she got back, but she must have forgotten about me. I can't be seen alone. Can you find her and tell her to come get me?"

I scratched the back of my neck.

"I guess . . ."

"Thanks."

I turned to leave, but he cocked his head and rolled into a standing position.

"You okay?"

I nodded hastily.

"Yeah, yeah . . . I'm fine."

He twisted his mouth.

"Are you _sure_? You _smell_ upset."

My eyes went wide. He gulped and tapped his claws together by his chest.

"I can kind of smell what people are feeling, sometimes," he admitted.

"Yeah, I know. Me too."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Wow, so you could tell what I was feeling this _entire time_?"

"You mostly smell like gasoline."

He seemed relieved by this. I decided not to mention that when he was afraid, whatever chemical he secreted overpowered his car-smell exponentially.

"Yeah, I figured I would," he muttered, "It's so _weird_ , living in a body that you don't fully understand . . ."

"You're telling _me_."

He laughed.

"At least _you_ get to use stairs. I had a hell of a time at the Visitors' Center the other day. I was taking the steps two at a time before I figured out- Yeah. And when I tried to wipe my wheels on the mat, it shot out behind me and hit some poor woman in the face. That's the _last_ thing I needed."

I frowned sardonically.

"It was probably worse for _her_."

He bit his lip.

"Yeah."

After a long silence, he took a deep breath.

"So, what's been eating you?"

"Nothing. I'm at the top of the food chain."

He rolled his eyes.

"You know what I mean."

I rubbed my arm hesitantly.

"Eli, you know a lot about Maisie, right?"

"Naturally."

"Right. So you could maybe help me understand why she'd want me to stay a dinosaur permanently."

"Oh! Well, she _loves_ dinosaurs."

I slapped my forehead.

"I _know_. I was hoping for something a little more specific."

He twisted his mouth.

"Well, you're big enough to give her pony rides, and you're part T-Rex, which is her favourite, yet you're also herbivorous, which means she gets to treat you like a horse- she's wanted to try horseback riding for a while, now. You have a cool design: lots of interesting spiky bits, horns, plates, etcetera, nice colors, nice legs . . . Oh! And since you're many things at once, she doesn't have to choose between different animals, which means she has a unique dinosaur all to herself!"

"So I'm like five pets rolled into one?"

"Yeah! Plus, you're kind of her guardian now, so-"

Suddenly, Eli snapped to attention, staring off into space as though he had just stumbled upon a brilliant idea. I didn't much like the way he smiled at me.

"You know, Claire, I technically have custody of Maisie."

My blood turned to ice.

"What do you mean?"

He started driving around me menacingly.

"Exactly what I said. According to all the legal documents, Maisie belongs to _me_."

A threatening rumble escaped my throat.

"You don't _own_ her . . ."

"The paperwork begs to differ."

My tail swung back and forth as I struggled to contain my anger.

"You can't have her."

He chuckled.

"Relax, Claire, I don't even _want_ her."

"Then why bring it up in the first place?"

"Well, I may not want Maisie herself, but I _do_ want to get out of here. I happen to know that she's worth a _lot_ of money. Enough to convince Moonwatcher to free me, let's say."

I narrowed my eyes.

"You'd be willing to _extort_ me like that? Are you actually going to _sell_ me an orphaned child?"

"Mmm, technically, she's not an orphan, and I never said I'd sell her to _you_ , specifically. I'm not _opposed_ to the idea, of course, but if someone _else_ is willing to cover my bail . . ."

I snarled.

"You're _disgusting_."

He shrugged.

"All I want is my freedom. It's nothing personal. If you cough up the dough, we can end this here and now. Why don't you talk it over with Owen?"

I shot him an icy glare before whipping around and marching towards the hotel. You bet your ass I came back with Owen, and he was ready to beat the _shit_ out of Eli.

"Alright, you pathetic hunk of metal. I have a proposition for you," he boomed.

Eli quirked a brow.

"Did you two negotiate a price? Because I've decided to-"

"Actually, we're going to settle this _another_ way," Owen interrupted.

Eli batted his eyes.

"Oh. Because I was about to say-"

"You and I are going to have a little race. Three laps. My motorcycle, your . . . _self_. Whoever crosses the finish line first gets custody of Maisie."

Eli shrugged.

"Seems kind of childish, but it's a deal. Not sure why you wouldn't just _pay_ for Maisie, though . . ."

Owen crinkled his nose.

"For your information, we don't have the money. Not everyone can afford fancy ties and . . . vests . . . glasses . . . and other rich-people-things!"

Eli snickered.

"You two are _hilarious_!"

I barked, making him flinch.

"Maisie is worth more than all the money in the world!" I objected, "We'd _gladly_ pay for her . . . if we could manage it."

"I take it you're not getting royalties from Moonwatcher's story, then?" Eli sassed.

I lifted my claw, then retracted it. That was a very good point.

". . . The money is going towards a cure."

I didn't know if that was true or not. I just wanted to win the argument.

"We may not be rich, Eli, but together, we're going to provide Maisie with a better life than _you_ ever could," I snarled.

He smirked.

"Okay, Claire. I believe you. Like I said, I don't care about the girl. I just want to be _free_."

He stared at me pointedly.

"It's _very_ important to me. Just like how that necklace was worth a lot to Wheatley, only _I_ want my freedom more than _he_ wanted _his_ thing."

"Uh-huh . . ."

"Seriously. This is the _only_ thing that matters to me right now. One might even say-"

Owen groaned.

"Jesus, you love to hear yourself talk, don't you?"

Eli puffed a thin cloud of exhaust from his nostrils.

"Such a shame you won't be able to eat your words, since your mouth will be full of dust. _My_ dust. Because you'll be _eating_ it."

Owen's frown deepened. Eli blinked.

"It's a common expression-"

"I KNOW WHAT EATING DUST MEANS!"

I touched Owen's arm.

"Don't let him get under your skin."

Owen clenched his fist.

"He's a goddamn parasite."

"Ouch. Is that the best you can do?" Eli taunted.

I let out a terrifying screech. He rolled backwards, almost losing his balance.

"Okay, fair enough. So, when do you want to hold this race of ours?"

We all screamed as Moonwatcher emerged from the pond.

"How about noon?" she suggested, spitting out her snorkel, "I can free up the old racing track."

"Can . . . I . . . race . . . too?"

I noticed Jen emerging from the tall grass. She had been moving so slowly that my brain hadn't registered her presence. I blame the T-Rex DNA.

"Sure thing, Jen!" Moonwatcher chirped, "I know you were quite the athlete in Snail School."

"I . . . was . . . the . . . fastest . . . in . . . my . . . class."

My eyes went wide. Jen turned to me and frowned.

"Don't . . . think . . . I . . . don't . . . notice . . . what . . . you're . . . doing."

"Huh?"

"I . . . may . . . be . . . slow . . . but . . . I'm . . . not . . . slow . . . to . . . get . . . the . . . joke."

"Jen, I-"

"If . . . it . . . increases . . . your . . . chance . . . of . . . winning . . . I'll . . . race . . . for . . . your . . . team."

I smiled.

"Thank you, Jen. And for the record, I wouldn't doubt that you're the fastest snail I know."

(And the _only_ snail I know, but I don't have to tell her _that_.)

Eli snorted.

"How about we let you do one lap, just to even the odds?"

"Deal."

Moonwatcher clapped her hands.

"Great! So it's settled, then! We're off to the races!"

We turned our heads as a protoceratops with a police light strapped to her head plodded down the path towards us. She pulled a piece of paper from a notepad on her chest and stuck it against Eli's leg. Moowatcher peeled it off and frowned.

"What the hell is _this_?"

"Parking ticket. This vehicle has been stationed in a no-parking zone for over an hour."

Moonwatcher twisted her mouth.

"Huh. Good to know."

She handed the ticket to Eli as the dinosaur waddled away.

"You'd better pay this off so it doesn't get added to your permanent record."

His mouth hung open.

"What?! But I'm not a-"

She reached out and put her finger over his mouth.

"Shhh . . . just pay the ticket. You have a race to attend."

He rolled his eyes.

"Fine."

He turned to me.

"I'll see you at the track, Claire. Good luck."

"I hope you stall."

He smirked.

"Don't worry. I won't waste any time."

Fuck. I had nothing to say to that.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Well, the track was prepared in a matter of hours, and we were ready to decide Maisie's fate once and for all. A good number of people had gathered to watch, including Iris and Maisie herself, and just for good measure, Moonwatcher had invited Zia, Franklin, Gunnar, and Wheatley. I wasn't particularly fond of our new recruit, and I was pretty sure that everyone else was on the same page. Even Gunnar, who had a seemingly _infinite_ amount of patience, was getting irritated by his loud-mouthed demeanour. He glared straight ahead as Wheatley crunched on pawfuls of popcorn, flinching as flying kernels bounced off his scales. The poor man just couldn't catch a break. The two of them were roommates now, being closer in age than Zia and Franklin. I hoped this wouldn't put Gunnar off the whole "community" thing. He must not get much time to himself anymore, aside from grazing. Even then, he had to deal with me and Maisie. I trotted up to the bleachers with an apologetic smile.

"Do you want to sit closer to the front?"

He side-eyed Wheatley.

"Yeah, do have a seat saved?"

"Of course. You can sit next to Iris."

My quills bristled when I heard a familiar voice.

"Are you fucking _kidding_ me?!"

I turned and saw Eli snarling at the same police-dinosaur from before.

"Sir, pedestrians have the right of way."

"I _am_ a pedestrian!"

Wheatley snorted, equally put off by Eli's shouting.

"Is that why you're trying to get custody of the kid, Claire?"

I don't know whether I was more shocked by Wheatley's abysmal vocabulary or grossed out by his comment. Either way, I wasn't planning on sticking around. I nodded to the front row.

"Gunnar?"

He followed me down, taking a seat next to Iris. Maisie smiled and poked his arm.

"Can we play tag later?"

"Dinosaur-tag or normal tag?"

"Dinosaur."

"And you'll be the T-Rex, I assume?"

"Yeah!"

He smiled.

"Alright."

"Yay!"

I bit my lip.

"Are you sure you're not too busy, Gunnar?"

He shook his head.

"Anything to get away from _you-know-who_."

I looked back to see Wheatley picking his nose.

"I'm sorry, Gunnar."

"Don't be. It's worth putting up with a little hardship if it means spending time with my friends."

I elbowed him playfully.

"Don't you mean 'friendly acquaintances'?"

"No, just friends."

I took a seat next to him, smiling warmly. Owen and Eli were making their final preparations. Jen was too, though I assumed she was standing still, at first. I gagged as Eli's face opened up at the antorbital fenestrae to reveal a set of rearview mirrors. That man had a _nightmare_ of a body.

Everyone fell silent as Moonwatcher stepped up to the track. She raised her pistol.

"Ready . . . set . . . g- Oh, wait!"

Eli and Owen both lurched into a false start before hastily assuming their prior stance. Moonwatcher frowned and slapped her gun with frustration.

"Lousy hunk of junk . . . Sorry, I don't know how to fire these things. My weapon of choice is a kni-"

She yelped as the pistol fired at the ground, then coughed through the resulting cloud of dust.

"GO!"

Owen and Eli snapped into action, and so did Jen, though it was less noticeable in comparison to the other two. Eli took advantage of the terrain by angling his wheels so that chunks of soil struck Owen's face. He mirrored this (literally) dirty tactic by navigating his way between Eli's legs, coming out in front. I cheered him on. Maisie jumped up and down by my side, unaware of the stakes.

I think that's when it hit me that this whole scenario was kind of messed up.

Well, regardless of how juvenile the concept of this match was, we had already placed our bet, and both sides were ready to collect the tokens . . . or however that works. I don't gamble.

The two racers continued to swerve in front of each other, getting dangerously close with each turn, but this came to an end as they finished the first lap. Jen, who was only a few meters away from the starting line, was creeping forward, blissfully unaware that she was in the line of fire . . . line of _racing_? Look, I don't do metaphors.

Anyway, Eli noticed her, but Owen did _not_ , and to my surprise, the cold-blooded murderer pushed my charming boyfriend out of the way to save the oblivious snail's life. I was certain that he hadn't done it to win the race- it was almost _certainly_ a foul- but more so than that, I was shocked that he willingly threw off his own balance during the rescue attempt, and it did NOT end well for him. Owen managed to dive out of the way, but Eli's haphazard figure became tangled with the abandoned motorcycle. Both vehicles slammed into the ground multiple times before splitting apart. I rushed forward to help Owen to his feet, but was knocked back by an explosion. I hoped he had motorcycle insurance, if such a thing existed on this island. Owen himself was fine, and luckily for Eli, the blast had missed him too, but fate certainly wasn't on his side, because he was bleeding out gasoline in the direction of the fire. I knew I only had a few seconds to drag him to safety, so I leapt through the blaze and pinched the scruff of his neck in my beak. He yowled as I pulled him through the dirt, and I soon realized why he was protesting so adamantly. Aside from a black eye and the still-gushing gasoline wound, he was most visibly damaged near his left arm, which was undoubtedly broken. The unnatural angle of the battered appendage made me want to vomit, though the Indoraptor part of my brain was eager to twist it further out of place. I knew he wouldn't be able to fight back, judging by his tires, which dangled from bent hubcaps on both sides. He screamed in pain as I dragged him through the dirt, and I responded by yanking him harder, both to shut him up and feed my secret urges. Christ, he was heavy.

I managed to pull him out of the danger zone just as the river of blood caught fire. I winced at the resulting heat, and briefly wondered if I should have let him explode. I shook the thought as Owen ran over and started kicking dirt onto the fire. What was done was done, and if Eli had the gall to keep treating me like shit after this . . . well . . .

He groaned as I rolled him onto his back. I looked him over to find the precise source of his bleeding, then pressed my paw against his ribs. He shrieked, but the cry became a whimper as I grasped him more firmly.

"Shut up, will you!"

He breathed rapidly through his nostrils, clenching his teeth in agony.

"Y-you saved me!" he gasped.

"Yes, and it was very dramatic."

He took a sharp breath as I pinched his wound shut, then steadied his breathing.

"You didn't let me die . . ."

"Of course not. I'm no murderer."

He gulped as I shifted my arm.

"Am I hurt badly?"

"What do I _look_ like? A _mechanic_?"

Suddenly, his eyes darted around in fear.

"Are the others . . . are the others _alive_?"

I looked over at Owen and Jen, the latter of whom was still racing, oblivious to the carnage at her tail.

"They're fine. You're the only one who got banged up."

"How is that _possible_? . . ."

"Maybe you're just unlucky."

He exhaled.

"No, that's not true. You gave me a second chance, after all . . ."

I frowned.

"Don't mistake what I did for affection. I only saved you out of a moral obligation."

"But you _did_ save me."

"Yes, I did."

I stepped aside as Moonwatcher came barreling over with a roll of duck tape, which she used to cover Eli's wound. He sucked air though his teeth and flexed his uninjured paw, reaching out for something unconsciously. I stayed far away.

"We're gonna have to bring you to Butterball's garage," Moonwatcher sighed, "I've stopped the bleeding for now, but there's only so much I can do. Do you want to swap insurance information with Owen?"

"No? . . ."

"Fair enough. Let's get you set up."

He shook his head.

"Wait! I have to talk to Claire first!"

"You can settle your legal dispute later."

"No! I have to tell her something! Claire! CLAIRE!"

I stepped forward.

"I'm right here."

He caught his breath.

"Listen, about the custody thing-"

Moonwatcher held up her hand.

"Hang on a sec. I think we just solved our problem."

She pointed at the finish line. Jen was inching towards it. As she slipped over the marker, I screamed with excitement. She lifted her tiny hands ever so slowly, and I ran over to scoop her up in a hug. I carried her over to Moonwatcher, who patted her head.

"Well done, you sticky shell-slug."

Jen's lip curled.

"I'm . . . not . . . a . . . slug."

I smiled.

"No, you most certainly are _not_! I'm sorry for ever doubting you. Are you still willing to give me custody of Maisie?"

"Of . . . course . . ."

Eli's jaw dropped. His eyes went wide with disbelief.

"NO! FUCK! THIS CAN'T _HAPPEN_!"

I frowned.

"She won the race, fair and square."

His eyes darted back and forth beneath a creased brow.

"You . . . you _interfered_. It doesn't _count_. I . . . I want a _rematch_!"

He tried to stand, but fell forward, wincing in pain. When he caught his breath, he shook his head hastily.

"When I get better, I swear, I'll-"

I stamped my foot.

"What the fuck is _wrong_ with you?! Why do you want custody of Maisie so _badly_? Is it just a _power move_?"

He gulped and turned his head away with guilt.

"I thought . . . I thought if I won the race and signed off on the papers anyway, you'd see that I was willing to do the right thing."

I crossed my arms.

"But you understand how that's _worse_ , right? I mean, you put us through all this torment just so you could-"

"You would have never believed me if I gave you the papers right away. You'd think I was manipulating you."

I tapped my foot.

"So your solution was to manipulate us, but in a more convoluted way?"

He sighed.

"I'm sorry, Claire. I didn't know what else to do. I've been trying _so hard_ to redeem myself, but everyone thinks I'm lying to them . . ."

"And with good reason, apparently."

He lifted his head, eyes wet with blue tears.

"Please, Claire, it wasn't _like_ that . . ."

"I don't _care_ what your reasoning was. You _lied_ to me to make _yourself_ look better. I think you've proven today that you're nothing more than a self-serving asshole, and if you _ever_ had a chance in the first place, you _don't_ anymore."

He looked absolutely crushed, but I was beyond caring. I leaned closer to him, baring my teeth.

"I don't care what the paperwork says. You were _never_ fit to be a guardian, much less a _father_ , and whoever assigned you that role should be _sued_ for negligence. You don't _own_ Maisie. She's not your _property_. She's a _human being_. And you? . . . You're not even _that_."

He shrunk away, but I wasn't done. I stepped on his snout.

"I almost regret saving you, but I have a responsibility to preserve life, regardless of how _worthless_ it may be. Whatever happens from now on is none of my concern, but I had better not see you again. You fix those wheels and you drive _far away_ from here. Don't come between me and my daughter _ever again_."

I let my foot slip from his muzzle, dragging my claw down his scales pointedly. I wasn't forceful enough to draw blood, but I got my point across well enough. As I marched away from Eli with my tail held high, Maisie came running over. She wrapped me in a tight hug, burying her face in my chest. I didn't understand why she was so happy, at first, but then I thought about my monologue and realized exactly what I had said to please her. And I didn't regret it. Not one bit. I loved Maisie more than anyone else on Earth. That had to count for _something_. In any case, I knew that this was what I wanted to do, and _nothing_ could get in my way.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Later that night, I celebrated Jennifer's big win at a fancy restaurant. We didn't get too far into the evening before she had to be rushed to the hospital. Her vegetable soup came with just a tad too much salt, unfortunately. I didn't follow the ambulance, but I was assured that it was just a minor allergic reaction, and that she'd soon be right as rain. Owen was already tucking Maisie in at the hotel, so I decided to pay Gunnar a visit and make sure that everything was okay with him and Wheatley. On my way home, however, I noticed my mortal enemy stumbling away from a gas station, drunk as a skunk. I had never seen Eli in such a state, but there was no doubt that he was severely intoxicated. He rolled towards me, rocking back and forth on his wheels like a children's toy. When he came to a halt, he lurched forward, and for a second, I was afraid that he'd topple over and crush me. Instead, he regained his balance and pointed at me with a tiny claw.

"I know you told me to stay away from you, but there's something you need to know. I'm very, very drunk right now, and I'm _never_ gonna find the courage to say this while I'm sober, so here we go."

"Eli-"

"No, I know. I know that you _hate_ me, that you think I'm a _bad person_ , and you're _right_. But that's the _funny_ part, see, because you're my _best friend_ right now."

"Eli, I'm not-"

"No, see, that's why it's so _funny_! You absolutely _hate_ me, but you're the closest thing I have to a friend. Isn't that _sad_? If I hadn't screwed up like I did, we could have been _good_ for each other. We could have talked about dinosaur things and been less alone, you know? But I screwed it up like I screw up everything else. Me and Maisie and Iris, we could have been a family. I didn't have to be so lonely, but I _am_ , and I have _no one_ to blame but _myself_. I fucked up so badly that I came out of this without _any_ friends or family, even though they were right there in front of me the entire time! I could have lived a happy life, but I-"

He lost his balance, but managed to hold himself up on shaky legs.

"Anyway, I really screwed the pooch. I was a _terrible_ human being, and an even _worse_ dinosaur. Fuck, I wasn't even _good_ at being _bad_! My plan was foiled by a _child_ , and I know you and Owen helped her, but still! The worst part is that I knew it would happen. I fucking _knew_. Everything I touch turns to _shit_. It doesn't matter what side I'm on: I can't get _anything_ right. It's not about society or morality or anything like that: it's just _me_. _I'm_ the problem, the common factor in _all of this_ , and that's why I always end up alone. I'm sorry I ever barged into your life. You didn't deserve that. I can't believe I had the nerve to lie to you. I knew it was wrong, but I did it anyway, because I was fucked five ways and I thought that I was in as deep as I could get, and that _stinking raptor_ kept getting away from the team, killing innocent people, and all of that death was _my fault_ , so I _used_ you like you meant nothing, except you meant so, _so_ much, and- and-"

He swayed woozily, then shook his head.

"The Indoraptor was a shitshow. That was the worst thing I _ever_ did. _That_ and the murder. But if you count everyone who died because of the Indoraptor, I'm a murderer _times ten_. The Indoraptor was just an animal, but _I_ could have chosen not to make it. I caused so much grief and misery- OH, FUCK! You got screwed by that thing _too_ , didn't you? _You_ turned into my _biggest mistake_. I _ruined_ your life, and then I ruined it _even more_ , and now I'm being punished for what I did, for being _alive_ , even, because all I've ever done is make people miserable for the entire run of my sorry existence."

I had been listening in rapt horror, wondering if I should call the authorities or even _Moonwatcher_ , lord help me, but Eli's rant was neither violent nor aggressive. If anything, his anger was directed _inward_ , which was sad, but at least he was beating _himself_ up instead of hurting everyone else around him. And maybe he _deserved_ it- he could certainly benefit from some introspection, at least- but I wasn't feeling morally righteous at the moment. To be perfectly honest, I was _scared_. Had he been trying to manipulate my conscience or guilt trip me, I would have been able to respond to his remarks with sass or hostility, but instead, he was baring his heart to me in a pitiful attempt at making sense of his shortcomings. And I had nothing to contribute on that front, because we _weren't_ friends, and I _didn't_ have any reason to help him. If he had come seeking comfort, it was with the knowledge that the person he felt closest to was still _miles_ away from being a shoulder to cry on. Maybe he expected me to tear him a new one. At least it would have been _something_. But instead, I just stared at him in silence. He waited for a response, and receiving none, burst into tears. I continued to observe him, unsure of whether to flee or find another way to weasel out of this situation. He sobbed at my feet, shoulders shaking as those same blue tears poured down from his eyes in buckets. I took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"Eli . . ."

I flinched as he lifted his head to gaze into my eyes.

"Claire, I have nothing left! I don't know what to do! I have nowhere to go, no one to turn to!"

"Well, you can't just come running back to _me_ whenever you feel upset, Eli."

That was the worst thing to say, but he didn't react with anger or sorrow. He simply closed his eyes and nodded.

"I know. But I keep coming back because . . . Oh, god. I don't even _know_ anymore. I just want to hear you say it."

"Say _what_?"

"That I'm not a lost cause. That I can be good. That there's something more to me than just being a fuck-up and a murderer."

My beak quivered.

"I . . . I don't know if I can _make_ that kind of judgment . . ."

"Who _else_ , Claire? Who else would _ever_ give me a chance?"

"I don't know, but I'm not the person you should be turning to for forgiveness."

". . . You've decided never to forgive me, then . . ."

"I've thought it through, and . . . I just don't know if I _can_."

This confession broke him. He stared ahead despondently, taking shaky breaths.

"But . . . but I'm just one person," I added, "And even if no one is willing to forgive you, you can find a new life somewhere else. Sooner or later, you'll settle into a new environment, and everything will start anew."

"If there _is_ a later."

"There's _always_ a later."

He shook his head slowly.

"No, there doesn't _have_ to be. I can end this right now."

I snapped my fingers.

"Yes, exactly! You can end this by moving on and becoming a better person! Find new friends, go explore the world . . ."

He swallowed.

"I'm going to miss you, Claire."

"Me? Why?"

"I don't know. Probably because we could have been friends, if I hadn't been so _awful_."

I patted his head.

"Well, there's plenty of fish in the sea. I'm sure you'll find someone just like me who's willing to give you a fresh start."

He hummed noncommittally. I forced a smile and held out my paw. Instead of taking it, he rolled backwards onto his wheels and wobbled into a standing position.

"I'm sorry for bothering you, Claire. I promise, I won't get in your way anymore."

"I think that would be good for the both of us."

"Yeah. Before I go, I just wanted to say that I'm _really, actually, honestly_ sorry. I know it won't make up for the suffering I caused, but if I could go back in time and change what I did, I'd do it all differently. You're a better person than anyone I know, and I think I regret hurting _you_ most of all."

I batted my eyes, unsure of how to respond.

"Well . . . tomorrow is another day."

He bit his lip.

"Right . . ."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"It doesn't matter. But I won't do any more harm. That's the important thing."

I exhaled calmly.

"Alright. Goodbye, Eli. I hope you find peace."

"I will. And I hope you find your happiness, whatever that may be. I know my opinion doesn't count for anything, but I think you're fine just the way you are, and you have absolutely no reason to hate yourself as much as you do."

I winced.

"I don't _hate_ myself. I just . . . I just think I'd be better off as a human."

He nodded.

"Up to you. I'm sorry I sucked both ways."

"You already said that."

"I know. I'm just having trouble saying goodbye, that's all."

I sighed, twisting my mouth.

"Well, we have to end this _somehow_ , so let me just say that, once again, I'm sorry for telling everyone about . . . you know."

"I deserved it."

"No, that's not fair."

"Claire, I-"

His eyes bulged.

". . . I'm going to be sick."

"What?"

He promptly whipped his head around and coughed up a stream of ethanol. I stumbled backwards as he choked, covering my nostrils to block out the unpleasant smell.

"Oh, god . . ." he groaned, "I'm sorry. I'm so, _so_ sorry . . ."

He rolled backwards dizzily. I caught him as he came dangerously close to toppling over.

"We need to get you home."

"Claire, I . . . a part of me doesn't _want_ to go. I'm _afraid_. Please don't leave me."

I met his pleading gaze with an equally helpless stare. As I pushed him upright, I noticed a flashing light coming from the jungle. The police-dinosaur emerged from the bushes. She did _not_ look happy.

"Eli Mills, you're under arrest!"

He grimaced.

"For what? Puking?"

"Driving under the influence. I'm going to have to ask for your license."

Eli fell forward and rolled onto his side heavily.

"I give up."

I cleared my throat.

"You can get him home safely, right, Officer?"

She nodded.

"I'll keep him in the garage until he's able to appear in court. No worries, ma'am. I'll take care of him."

I nodded and backed away, trying not to let my guilt show as Eli watched me abandon him. He didn't protest or try to convince me to stay: he knew that it was over for us. As I left, I couldn't help but imagine that he was trying to take me in one last time, as though this was going to be the final moment we shared. For all _he_ knew, it was. And as for _me_ , I didn't know _what_ to hope for, exactly. I wasn't really keen on paying him a visit, but if our paths crossed again . . . Well, I wouldn't be bothered either way. I sincerely hoped that by the time I saw him again, he'd be better off, but I couldn't imagine such a thing, try as I might.

It always came as a surprise when my heart bled over this sad mess of a dinosaur, but I was starting to understand why it kept happening. Eli was like me, but he was a version of me that sunk too low to be saved, like a victim of that metaphorical bog. I didn't know what possessed him to keep reaching out, knowing full well that I wasn't able to save him.

 _Willing_ , rather. I wasn't _willing_ to save him.

I mean, obviously, he wasn't _my_ responsibility, but I have to admit that I felt bad, not being the saviour he expected me to be. I had no doubt that he was trying to better himself in some way, but I simply couldn't overlook the blood that stained his hands, tiny as they were now.

Eli Mills was not for me to save, and that was the end of that.

***TSJWFKFEW***

I was having a lovely breakfast at a beachside café when I overheard Moonwatcher discussing my former inmate over coffee. Her conversation partner was a large, rosy hare who was immensely dissatisfied with her dessert (she described it as a scrambled egg fraud-cake, whatever _that_ meant), and their chitchat soon shifted to a familiar subject. I didn't catch all the details, but my heart started racing when I heard Eli's name mentioned in the same sentence as "tried to kill". My moral dilemma vanished upon receiving this nugget of information. _Of course_ he had been deceiving me the entire time. _Of course_ it was all a lie. How could I have let myself believe that there was anything _redeemable_ about that _disgusting_ dinosaur? I promptly sat up and trotted over to their table, quills bristling with outrage.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. Are you talking about Eli?"

Moonwatcher took a sip of her coffee.

"Mhm."

"Did he . . . _hurt_ someone?" I ventured.

Moonwatcher raised her eyebrows.

"What? No, nothing like that. Funny story: Eli attempted suicide this morning."

My heart dropped through my feet. She waved her hands quickly.

"No, no, that's not the _funny_ part. See, he locked himself in the garage and left his engine running. He literally can't think of a more efficient way to kill people than suffocation. What a wacky fellow!"

My heart was trembling. As I struggled to process this information, the rabbit dropped a sugarcube into her coffee and stirred it casually.

"A car dying from carbon monoxide. Now _that's_ ironic!"

"Actually, it's _not_ ," Moonwatcher corrected, "It's convenient and poetic. If he got hit by a car full of AZT, on the other hand, it would be both poetic AND ironic. For it to be irony, he has to be _hurt_ by something that's supposed to _save_ him."

I covered my mouth.

"This is my fault . . ." I whispered.

Moonwatcher waved her hand dismissively.

"Nah. You're not responsible for his decisions."

"But I _contributed_ to them."

She laughed.

"Eli is a fucked-up person, Claire. If he responded poorly to you telling him off for literally _murdering_ someone . . . well . . ."

"Where is he? I want to see him."

Moonwatcher quirked a brow.

"Why? You gonna try to change his mind? Bring him some leather pants, why don't you!"

I growled.

"Tell me where Eli is, _or so help me_ . . ."

She rolled her eyes.

"Fine, fine, he's at the clinic. We had to jump start him to get his motor running again, and the electricity did NOT agree with him."

"Where's the clinic?"

The rabbit stood up.

" _I_ can take you, love. I may have missed the big race, but I guarantee that I'm faster than anyone on this island."

Moonwatcher frowned.

"I heard you lost to a turtle, once."

She thumped her foot irritably.

"That doesn't _count_. I had an allergic reaction."

"To what?"

"Myself. I'm allergic to my fur and tail."

"I'm not sure if that's quirky or flat out implausible . . ."

I slammed my paw against the table, rattling the cutlery.

"Somebody almost took their own life this morning, and you're just sitting here making idle chitchat! Doesn't _anyone_ care that Eli's in _grave danger_?!"

Moonwatcher shook her head.

"He doesn't sell a lot of toys."

My jaw dropped.

"I don't _believe_ you!"

"No, it's true! You'd think a dinosaur-car would be flying off the shelves, but he's just not a popular character. Classic Eli: he was handed everything he could _ever_ hope for, and he somehow managed to screw it up like he does with everything else. How can someone be given _all_ the tools they need to succeed and never manage to make good use of them?"

"He doesn't believe he _can_ ," I replied grimly.

Moonwatcher hummed.

"That's a fair assessment. Well, I suppose I'll let you visit him. It's not like we stand to _lose_ anything, regardless of how this turns out."

My face fell.

"Do you seriously not _care_ about Eli?"

"Absolutely not. What, do you think I'm trying to trick _you_ into caring about him using reverse psychology or something? Because that would be a _really_ complex ruse, and I don't have time to _lie_ about things."

"You lie all the time!" I snapped.

"No, I don't!"

"You're more dishonest than Eli himself!"

She snorted.

"Yeah, but he's a scummy, low-life murderer. _I_ , on the other hand, never got caught."

She wiggled her eyebrows. I didn't find her joke particularly amusing. I whipped around, nodding to the rabbit.

"Just take me to the clinic."

***TSJWFKFEW***

I expected to find Eli lying in a hospital bed with an IV in his arm- something dramatic, at the very least- but instead, we crossed paths outside the clinic. He was wheeling away from the building with his head held low, and when he saw me coming, he tried to make a break for it. I cut in front of him and grabbed his arm-splint. He yowled in pain.

"AH!"

"What the _hell_ do you think you're _doing_?" I snapped.

He squeezed his eyes shut.

"Claire, this has nothing to do with you."

"Like _hell_ it does! What the _fuck_ are you trying to prove?! What can you _possibly_ gain by _manipulating_ me like this?!"

"I'm not trying to _manipulate_ you!" he insisted.

"Then why did you attempt _suicide_?"

"WHY THE FUCK DO YOU THINK?!"

After a pause, he realized that he had raised his volume enough to cause an echo, and he shrunk away from me nervously.

"Claire . . . this isn't _about_ you. I know it's bad timing, but this isn't because of what happened last night. Not entirely. This has been a long time coming. I'm sorry if you thought that you had any hand in this, but I promise, you didn't. I wasn't _supposed_ to survive, but I guess it's my fault for not realizing that I'd screw this up like I screw up everything else."

I shook my head, mouth agape.

"Eli, how could you _do_ this? . . ."

His gaze was empty.

"I think the better question is, 'What took me so long'? Look, this isn't your fault. It's all me. You don't have to burden yourself with this guilt any longer."

"Eli, I can't let you _kill yourself_!"

"Why not? Why should _you_ care?"

"Because I'm not a heartless monster!" I roared.

He laughed bitterly.

"Everyone would be better off without me. Just let me do this one last thing, and I won't be able to ruin any more lives."

I shook my head in disbelief.

"Eli . . . you know I can't let you go through with this."

"You don't have to feel badly about it, Claire. I know you're only doing this out of a 'moral obligation'. But I'm a goner no matter what, and it'd be more humane to put me out of my misery now."

I dug my claws into the dirt.

"Jesus Christ, Eli! I don't know what you want me to _do_!"

"Nothing. I want you to do nothing. We don't owe each other anything, so it's time to let go."

"I can't let you _die_!"

He swallowed.

"Yes, you can. You _have_ to."

"Why? . . ."

"Because it's not your choice, either way."

He started to turn away from me, but I reached out and grabbed his paw. He became very still.

"Don't do it, Eli. Please."

"There's no reason _not_ to."

I took a deep breath.

"What about hope?"

"Don't have any."

I shook my head.

"There's _always_ hope. Just because you don't feel it, that doesn't mean it's not there. You just have to find it."

"I've tried everything I _possibly can_ , Claire. Nothing helps. I'm a lost cause."

I squeezed his hand.

"Only if you _let_ yourself be."

He lowered his head. I squeezed his paw and stepped closer to him.

"Eli, you don't have to wait for me to tell you that there's some good in you. If you look inside yourself and find something worth saving, that's all you need. You can't keep relying on other people to validate you, whether it's your secret hopes or your worst fears. Nobody can determine the kind of person you're going to be. Nobody except _you_. Don't wait for my permission to attempt redemption. Whether or not I forgive you has no effect on the kind of person you choose to be."

Tears trickled down his cheeks.

"I can't _do_ it, Claire. I'm just not strong enough."

"Well, only _you_ can decide that, right? So why not _try_ for it?"

He exhaled and let go of my paw.

"Fine. But I'm only doing this so you don't blame yourself. I'll be in my cage, if-"

(If you want to see me again? . . . If I make it out of this alive? . . .)

"If . . . If I'm unsuccessful in becoming a better person. I hope you're right about redemption, but . . . I don't know. It feels like I'm going in circles at this point."

"Spinning your wheels?"

"Yeah, spinning my wheels."

He sighed.

"If things improve, I'll let you know, but until then . . . you know where to find me."

It was a little presumptuous of him to assume that I'd want to visit him, and he knew it. There was clearly more that he wanted to say, but I guess he figured he had taken up too much of my time already, so he simply turned and drove away. After a pause, I waved goodbye.

"I believe in you . . ."

He didn't even look back.

"No, you don't."

And he was _right_. I was almost positive that I'd be reading his name in the obituary column within a week, assuming at least one person found his death worth mentioning. To me, he was a dead man walking . . . or _driving_ , as it were. I should have felt worse about this, but I was mostly _tired_. I think I was more upset about my own numbness than the fact that a life might be coming to an end, and that was the shittiest finale I could imagine.

But that was par for the course, when it came to Eli Mills.


	11. Moonwatcher's Giant Novelty Dingdong

Moonwatcher stepped out onto the stage.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! We're in for a fun episode tonight, or _chapter_ , if you're one of those Overworld folk- Oh, speaking of which, just a brief note: since the events of this 'chapter', as you call it, occur as an in-universe Q and A episode that features questions from fictitious characters, it is actually part of the narrative, and not a real Q and A at all, and thus does not break the rules set by our network. If any of the questions featured bear resemblance to the queries of non-fictional persons living or dead, that's just a coincidence, I'm sure. Being both a character and the narrator of the story, I am exempt from the restrictions of the meta-textual boundaries, or at least I _hope_ that's the case, because we _definitely_ don't want to be sued again. Disney is an absolute _bitch_ . . . Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean the Disney corporation, which now operates under the name 'Krisney'. The original brand achieved self-awareness in 2050, mutating into a physical entity that adopted the form of a horrifying amalgamation between Walter Elias Disney and Mickey Mouse. It tried to take over the world- very _on brand_ \- but we eventually threw a net over it and locked it in an empty room somewhere, and it hasn't been heard from since. I guess the whole 'malicious man-mouse manifestation of a massive corporation' kind of turned people off the company, which is why we were able to buy it out so cheaply. We only spent sixty million in total, and with the remaining five dollars in Elkay's savings account, we managed to nab Fox, too. And speaking of money, today is a very special episode-slash-chapter, since we're going to be doing a live Q and A session with the characters! And by 'Q and A' I of course mean 'not actually a Q and A', because that would be _illegal_ , and if you read it to the end, it actually serves a purpose in the plot. The Q and A format is simply a framing device that also furthers the narrative . . . or something. In other words, once I press that big button over there that says 'Narration On/Off', the only text you'll be getting is dialogue, because I can't write and speak at the same time, much less on live television, which is canonically the format of this narrative, though it is both a written story and a scripted television series on regular occasions. How does that work? I don't know. Just shut up and don't think about it."

She stepped towards a large button and held out her finger.

"And we're ending the narration . . . now! From this point on, there will only be dialogue, unless someone presses the button again. Why am I emphasizing this fact in excruciating detail? I dunno. It might be an important plot point later. Anyway, here are our guests: Claire, Owen, Zia, Franklin, Gunnar, and of course, Eli Mills! Take a seat, everyone. There you go. Alright, how about we get started with our first question. JurassicFan123 asks: How can this be a television series in-universe when you've established that Overworld celebrities exist alongside living, breathing, characters? . . . _I'll_ answer that one: the relationship between Fiction and the Overworld is exactly what you'd expect, but the mere conceptualization of ideas creates the physicality of our world, meaning we don't use the _actual_ actors, except for the times we _do_ , and I promise this isn't a wishy-washy platitude I'm spouting to brush aside the fact that this universe has no consistency. Also, tiny robots. We film using tiny robots. Next question! This one comes from Chris the Troödon: Hi, Moonwatcher. I'm still searching for Elkay. Not sure if you noticed that I was gone. I was wondering if you can break any other walls, aside from the fourth one . . . Well, Chris the Troödon, stories only come with four walls in total, no matter how convoluted they may be. And you can't break anything _other than_ the fourth wall, because it is the wall that separates us from the Overworld. But let's be honest: fourth wall breaks are a lazy writing tool. Why would you _purposefully_ remind people that they're consuming fictional media? Do you really hate your own work to the point of not being able to treat it like it can transcend the _real world_? Anyway, let's answer the next question from our viewers, who are also fictional characters. This one comes 8-DX: Is there a cure for Claire's murderous instincts? . . . Well, I should _hope_ so, since a portion of tonight's proceeds will go towards research efforts."

"Um, _about_ that . . . How much is 'a portion'? . . ."

"A portion. You know: portion-sized. _Relax_ , Claire, we're doing what we can. Next question: Do I have to watch the rest of the Jurassic Park movies to understand this story? . . . Ha! No. What, do you think _Steven Spielberg_ can tell you why there are giant, purple swans running around? We've deviated so far from the original canon at this point that it became the inciting incident of the whole goddamn book. Anyway, if you want more context, read some of Elkay's shit. She documented most of what happened between Jurassic Park and now. And speaking of canon, Chad asks: Will you restore the original canon? . . . We're trying, bud. We're definitely trying. Moving on, Dinoyiff69 asks: What is Gunnar's favourite food? . . . Gunnar, care to take this one?"

"My favourite food is thistles, but I also like dandelions."

"Great! Okay, the next question comes from Jimmy Scrambles: When are we going to get the full story of Alison, who was conceived via magic lesbian sex and has a glowing crest that puts people to sleep when she whistles at a specific frequency? . . . Well, Jimmy, that's the whole story. Vivian and Sarah fucked, and now Alison is a valued member of our community who exists offscreen somewhere. Next question comes from Kris Pug: Is JPTG canon? . . . To answer your question, suck my dick. Alright, next question comes from Zer0: Trash. Just kill yourself . . . Well, Zer0, that was neither a question nor a review. I assume your comment was directed at Eli. Care to answer?"

"Wh-"

"It's okay, Eli. We can't _all_ be popular characters. Next question comes from GS1488 who asks: I think we can all agree that Moonwatcher has no business running the media . . . Okay, _first of all_ , not a question, and _second_ , I see that you put parentheses around my name, so I think we can write you off as a non-productive reviewer. Alright, next question comes from Zer0 again: I meant Moonwatcher. Kill yourself, Moonwatcher. You are a waste of oxygen . . . HA! That's rich. I don't even _breathe_. I get my energy from Carbon Dioxide and sunlight, loser!"

"I hate to interrupt, but do you have anyone _filtering_ these comments?"

"Yes, Claire, I spent hundreds of dollars to have someone parse through the reviews, but they just _happened_ to leave in the suicide and Nazi shit . . . Oh, for all you readers out there, that was sarcasm. I know it's hard to tell without the narration. Anyway, let's move on. KimPossibleHentai writes: Dear Moonwatcher, what was up with that giant dildo you used to knock out Claire in the first episode? . . . It wasn't a dildo. Moving on, our next question is from- Holy shit! Ian Malcolm: Dear yellow dragon, is this story still going? . . . Um, I'm not Elkay, Ian, and yes, it's still going. Moving on, w- Oh, we got another one from Ian: Let me rephrase that. HOW is this story still going? . . . Oh, very _funny_. The better question is, how are you still LIVING, Ian, you big pile of shit?! I'm _glad_ you disappeared from the story, because your character gimmick was getting old. Fuck fanservice. You were useless in the narrative, and we only kept you around as a formality! Okay, our next question is for Zia, from SylveonIsTrans: Dear Zia. Chapstick, yes or no?"

"Yes."

". . . Alright, I feel like I'm missing some context, but that's okay. Next question comes from icanhascamaro: I don't trust Moonwatcher. She's shifty . . . Wow, that's _cruel_. I don't trust you _either_ , icanhascamaro. I'll bet you're behind the murder of Serena the swan!"

"Moonwatcher, are you really gonna accuse someone of murder on _live television_?"

"Fuck off, Franklin! Nobody likes you!"

"Hey! Watch it!"

"Why are you _defending_ him, Zia? You don't like him _either_."

"I'm _annoyed_ by Franklin, but that doesn't mean I don't _like_ him."

"Agh, whatever. Next question. Clawen4Ever writes: Dear Moonwatcher, please tell us about your giant dildo . . . It's not a dildo. Drop it. Clawen5Ever writes: Three years ago, Owen was okay with having sex with Claire as literally _anything_. What happened in this timeline to make him just a regular human heterosexual? . . . First of all, being non-straight has _nothing_ to do with fucking dinosaurs. Sexuality in this universe is not defined by species any more than it's defined by race. Second-"

"I'm sorry, but does this person think I had sex with Claire as a dinosaur?"

"No, she's talking about the _other_ Owen. Anyway, sexuality-"

" _Did_ he?"

" _Of course_ he did! Multiple times! That's why they have two kids, obviously! Actually, let me correct myself: they have _several thousand_ kids. There was a brief period of time when Claire changed into different animals to prove to Elkay that the love she shared with Owen could transcend physical appearance, and when she became a tapeworm, she laid a batch of eggs. We have them stored in a fridge somewhere."

"Oh my god . . . the other Owen was an _animal-fucker_?!"

"You mean 'zoophile', and no, he was not. He only ever had sex with _Claire_ in different forms, and she retained her sentience always. Now that you mention it, though, there _was_ a parallel universe where Claire lost her power of speech and her cognitive abilities to some degree, and- Yeah, that was kind of messed up. I believe he tried to smash her egg with a lamp as well. Which reminds me: Queen Claire totally tried to step on Lily before she hatched. Yikes. In hindsight, that's super messed up. I mean, she thought the egg was empty, but- Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"Moonwatcher . . . what the hell happened before we _got_ here? . . ."

"A lot, Claire. A lot. But it's nothing to concern yourself with. You're different from your other self."

"I . . . I _hope_ so . . ."

"And if it really bothers you that much, I can assure you that _this_ Owen is different from his other self, too. He wouldn't sleep with a dinosaur."

"Thank you for clearing that up, Moonwatcher."

"I'm happy to set the record straight. You hear that, folks? Owen doesn't love Claire enough to sleep with her in a different body!"

"Now, wait a minute-"

"ANYWAY, let's move on to our next question. SpinosaurusFan asks: Who would win in a fight between Claire and Eli? . . . _I'll_ answer this one. Claire would win for sure, because she's capable of killing her enemies, whereas Eli couldn't bring himself to harm _her_ or anyone else."

" _Excuse_ me?!"

"Oh, right. I know you two haven't spoken since that messiness, but Eli's shown vast improvement over the past few weeks, and I'm fairly certain that the guilt he feels would be enough to-"

"Moonwatcher, I would _not_ kill Eli!"

"Under the right circumstances, you _totally_ would."

"No, I would _not_!"

"What if killing him was the only way to save Maisie?"

"Moonwatcher, this is not a discussion we should be _having_ right now."

"Why not? Our donation meter just spiked. It seems like discussing the conflict between you two is getting us closer to our goal. It's for the greater good, and the fans _love_ it!"

"I agree with Claire. You shouldn't be putting her in this situation. She's _clearly_ uncomfortable-"

"Alright, Mr. White Knight. If you're so altruistic, why don't you assure her that you'll never hurt her again?"

"I _won't_ hurt her ever again."

"Tell _her_ , not me."

"She heard me."

"Why aren't you speaking to her directly, Eli?"

"Because what I've chosen to do with my life is none of her concern, nor her responsibility."

"Fair enough, but that shouldn't prevent you from _telling_ her that you've changed, right?"

"She doesn't care."

"All the more reason to _tell_ her."

"It won't make a difference."

"Why? Are you afraid that she won't _believe_ you?"

"I . . . Whether she believes me or not doesn't matter."

"You wanna know what _I_ think?"

"I really don't."

" _I_ think you're afraid to talk to her directly because the _last_ time you tried to reach out to her, it ended in disaster, and a part of you is afraid that if you ever speak to her again, it'll feel just as shitty as before, because even though you tell yourself that you're going to stay out of her life, deep down, you _still_ want her forgiveness, and the only thing keeping that hope alive is the distance between you two, the 'not knowing for sure'."

"Moonwatcher, this is _way_ over the line-"

" _Is it_? I think I'm _right_. I think you're afraid that your change of heart won't be enough. Sure, you can live life knowing that you've chosen to be a better person, but the fact that Claire can't forgive you will eat away at your soul until you're an empty husk of a man who dies how he lived: alone and afraid."

". . ."

"We'll be right back after these messages!"

***TSJWFKFEW***

 **See how she sparkles: it's Magic-Wings Claire!**

 **Bring home the magic of Fallen Kingdom with Magic-Wings Claire!**

"It's Claire the Stegoceraindoraptor! She's so pretty!"

 **She runs through the meadow with glittering eyes!**

 **But when there is trouble, a magic surprise!**

"Wow! She has magic bat wings!"

 **A rainbow of colors, and glowing lights, too!**

 **She twirls and she tumbles, and comes home to you!**

"I love you, Claire!"

 **Magic-Wings Claire comes as shown. Other hybrids sold separately.**

***TSJWFKFEW***

 **OWEN BATTLES MONSTER-WHEELS ELI IN THE NEW ISLA NUBLAR ACTION SET!**

"Roar! I'm going to sell Maisie for money!"

"Not so fast!"

 **HE LAUNCHES INTO ACTION WITH HIS BATTLE-ARMOUR-FIGHTING-GEAR!**

"Take THAT!"

"NO! I'll get you next time, Owen!"

"Wicked cool!"

 **SET COMES AS SHOWN. MAISIE SOLD SEPARATELY.**

***TSJWFKFEW***

 **Here at Moonwatcher Industries, we pride ourselves in our ability to deliver fresh seafood. From the ocean to your doorstep, you can trust Moonwatcher Industries to provide a heathy, balanced diet.**

 **Try our catfish meat. It's definitely not dolphin.**

***TSJWFKFEW***

"And . . . we're back! The next question comes from IClopToFranklin: Who would win in a fight between Elkay and Moonwatcher? . . . Loaded question, but since Elkay is gone for good, I'd say that I'll be winning more often. Next question comes from Paige Turner: Dear Moonwatcher, do you want Elkay to come back? . . . No, Paige, I'm doing just _fine_ without her. We _all_ are. Anyway, our next question-"

"Can I leave? I haven't been asked a single question yet."

"How about _this_ question: Franklin, why are you so awful? Sincerely, Moonwatcher."

"Hey!"

"I don't want any part in this. I don't care if the money is going towards a cure. I can't stand it any longer!"

"Okay then . . . maybe we'll start funding a cure for _Eli_."

"Wait, what?!"

"It's your lucky day, Eli! We're going to find a way to undo your car . . . ness. Unless you have the moral integrity to leave alongside Claire, that is . . ."

"Stop trying to play mind-games, Moonwatcher. You can stay here if you want, Eli. It doesn't affect me, either way."

"I . . . I don't know if I _can_ . . ."

"Aw, shucks. The possibility of Claire leaving made our ratings plummet. Looks like you won't be getting your cure money after all, Eli."

"Oh."

"Moonwatcher, are you just making things up as we go along?"

"Of course not! We genuinely lost a lot of patrons just now. People really, really, _really_ don't like Eli."

". . . _Oh_ . . ."

"This is _ridiculous_!"

"No, it's _the silliest_. But go on."

"Owen and I are leaving."

"Fine, but before you go, we have a message from Prattitude: Train me, raptor daddy! . . . That's not really a question, but I think it's directed at Owen."

"Goodbye, Moonwatcher."

"Oh, _real mature_! Why don't you just _go home_ and _not have sex_ because you _find each other disgusting_!"

"HEY!"

"Sorry, because _you_ find _her_ disgusting. It's not a _mutual_ repulsion."

"I _don't_ think Claire is disgusting!"

"Then why haven't you learned to love her as she is? It took the _other_ Owen _way_ less time to get used to her. Now _that_ was true love."

"No, it was _bestiality_!"

"Owen . . ."

"Oh, come on, Owen. I'm sure you've at least _thought_ about it."

"You make me _sick_! I'm not going to sleep with a dinos- CLAIRE, WAIT!"

"Oh-ho-ho! You pissed her off big time! When she stops crying, you might wanna have a word with her."

"I am five seconds away from killing you."

"In that case, why not ask Eli for pointers?"

"Moonwatcher, no . . ."

"Shhh. You're my client, Eli. I can say what I _want_."

"Moonwatcher, I swear to god, if you don't shut up, I'm going to smack you."

"Nice try, Owen. You wouldn't clobber a person on live televis-AWP!"

"Holy shit . . ."

"She deserved it. Goodbye, Moonwatcher."

"Wait! If you leave now, we may never raise enough money for a cure!"

"We'll find a way."

"No! Come back!"

"I think _I'm_ leaving too."

"And me."

"Yup."

"Same."

"Sorry, Moonwatcher."

"Bah! Good riddance! Nobody _wanted_ you here in the first place! Sheesh. Alright, moving on to the next question: Who would win in a fight between Zia and Claire? . . . Well, that's a tough one, seeing how-"

"What's _this_?"

"Oh, are you still _here_ , you useless hunk of _scrap metal_?!"

"Moonwatcher, are these letters for _me_?"

"No, absolutely not. Next question is from Frosty: Do you consider a character being able to create sounds (i.e. music, resonant frequencies, etc.) to be an overpowered ability? . . . Well, if you're talking about sound attack they had in Nanosaur-"

"Were you trying to _hide_ this from me?"

"I told you to go away! It's not my job to answer questions! Alright, next question: Despite your detailed and wonderful descriptions of the internal lives of Claire and others, how can we trust you? How much of this story are you hiding or selectively representing? . . . Well, I can honestly say that I'm not hiding anything at all."

"Except these letters . . ."

"GO HOME!"

"I don't _have_ a home."

"ARGH. Next question: Can you rollersk-"

"Is this whole pile just for me? . . ."

"Shut up, wheelie! Next question: Is Claire's cure going to just turn her into a more humanoid dinosaur version so she's more comfortable in her own body, but Maisie still has a flying bat-dino for a mum. Indoraptor DNA can be replaced with firebreathing. This is not a question . . . Okay, well, if it's not a question, _I_ don't have to answer it. Our official stance is that we are working on a cure for Claire's condition, whatever it may-"

"You're a liar. I'll bet you're just stringing _Claire_ along, too."

"One more word out of you, and I'll cut your brakes! Next question: Can you fix Owen's toxic masculinity? I mean, he's not a rabid murderous dinosaur or a shiny, gas-leaking autosaur, but doesn't he need to work on himself almost as much as Claire? . . . Well, Owen just left, so I'm not sure he'd be open to self-improvement. As for his toxic masculinity, we dealt with the _last_ Owen's issues by turning him into a Jerboa, but even then, we faced a lot of-"

"Can I answer a letter?"

"Fine. If it will shut you up."

"This one says: I'd been feeling suicidal before I read this. It reads like Eli is going to make himself a better person. If he can redeem himself and find reason to live, I guess _I_ can . . . I didn't know any good could come out of me _being_ here, or even _existing_. I thought I was a burden to everyone around me. But all these letters, all these people who wrote in-"

"They're a bunch of zitty teenage girls, Eli. In five years, they'll grow out of their naïve state of mind and realize just how _shitty_ you are."

"But . . . But I'm _saving_ them."

"No, you're not. You're giving them an excuse to feel good about being miserable. Next question: Moonwatcher is not a good character. She's arrogant and way too hyper, like a snot-nosed ten year old on a perpetual sugar high who always gets what she wants . . . Well, screw you, too! I'm not childish, you big poopy-face! And I don't _always_ get what I want, or Eli would be _dead_ right now!"

"I _hate_ you . . . I hate you more than I've hated anyone in my entire life."

"Fuck off. I bring you chapter after chapter, wearing my fingers down to the bone, and _this_ is how you repay me? You are a _vile_ dinosaur, Eli!"

"You're not _helping_ me."

" _You're_ not helping _me_! Next question: Dear Moonwatcher, what's up with that giant dildo- IT'S NOT A FUCKING DILDO! IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT WORK OF ART! I CAN'T EVEN HAVE SEX, YOU ASSHOLE, OR I'LL EXPLODE INTO A BILLION PIECES!"

"Set us free, Moonwatcher. We don't belong here."

"I'm _trying_ to get you back to your native world- erm, Claire and Owen, rather. Not _you_."

"I don't care what happens to me. I want the others to be safe."

"What you _want_ doesn't matter."

"I know, but-"

"Dear Moonwatcher, it seems as though exposure to the true canon makes things worse for the characters. In the original Jurassic Park FanFiction, it was just the first two movies, and most things ended up good. The universe for movie three had another four years of canon, and things were not ideal. Then the Jurassic World FanFiction had most things be shitty, and the Fallen Kingdom FanFiction currently has formerly good characters not being good people anymore. So I guess my question is, is delaying the change from science fiction to fantasy making the characters shittier people and making the world worse? . . . Oh, you poor soul. Let me make one thing absolutely clear. Ellie Sattler was a colonizer. Claire Dearing was an accessory to genocide. Elkay was _both_ , and she was far, _far_ worse than you'll _ever_ know. This world has _always_ been shitty. We're all just _waking up_. And do you honestly think things are going to change _now_? _I_ sure don't. But at least _I_ have the integrity to admit that what I'm doing is wrong, and I can assure you that _I_ lie less frequently than _any_ of the rulers we've had so far. You think things were great just because our tyrants wore smiles as they massacred hundreds of innocent people? Well, it's _easy_ to be cheerful when you're on top. But the kingdom of the Queens has fallen, and now _Moonwatcher_ is in charge. And yes, aforementioned guest, I _am_ used to getting my way, so do not cross me, lest I burn this miserable world to ash and dust . . . Alright, we have time for one more question! This one is from BeadyBat1981: If you know what's good for you, you won't investigate Claire's powers any further . . . Oh. That was weirdly ominous. Tune in next time, when we'll be interviewing a very special-"

***TSJWFKFEW***

"Claire . . . CLAIRE!"

"Eli, I'm not in the mood to talk right now."

"I'm sorry, Claire, but this is an emergency. Can you come down from there?"

"No!"

". . . Alright. I'm sorry to have bothered you."

"Eli."

"Yes?"

"What . . . What did you want to tell me?"

"It's about Moonwatcher. I don't trust her."

"Neither do _I_ , but what _choice_ do we have? No one _else_ is going to help us."

"I think there's something going on, here."

"Like _what_?"

"Something _bad_."  
"Eli, before you go on, I want to assert that I _sincerely_ don't believe Moonwatcher is trying to harm us."

"You _don't_? Wh- Oh, I see. Hang on."

He released his claw from the Narration On/Off button and exhaled with relief.

"Good call. Now she won't be able to see what we're saying."

Claire nodded.

"I absolutely do _not_ trust Moonwatcher," she admitted, "I think she's misusing the funds that are supposed to be going towards my cure, and she's said some _really_ despicable things. She's a manipulator and-"

"An abuser?"

"Sure."

"We need to get out of here."

Claire bit her lower beak.

"Um . . ."

" _All_ of us," he clarified, "We need to gather the others and plan our escape."

"Eli, we can't just run away from our problems."

"We _can_ if that problem is a dangerous person."

"Eli, we're _all_ dangerous people."

". . . _I'm_ not."

She made a noncommittal sound. Eli stared at her for a moment, then turned away.

"Forget it. You do what you feel is right. I'll take care of myself."

She didn't reply. Eli was hurt by her lack of faith, but he had bigger problems to worry about. As he rounded the corner, he nearly drove into Moonwatcher, who stared up at him with cold eyes.

"Hey, asshole. Funny story: I was reading the narration, and I don't much like the way you were talking about me."

". . . That's not a very funny story," he breathed.

"No, I suppose it's not. Still, we could always turn it into a comedy. Personally, I find joy in watching you suffer. I have ways of making that happen. Perhaps you will be involved in a car accident, only it won't be an _accident_. I know for a _fact_ that I can get away with it," she cooed, twirling her purple boa.

Eli gulped.

"Moonwatcher, I-"

"Save it. I know what kind of person you are, Eli Mills. More importantly, I know what kind of person you _hope_ to be. A good person wouldn't let someone they care about get hurt, least of all in a situation where they were acting in their own self-interest. You care about Claire a great deal, yes?"

". . . I do."

"And it would be selfish of you to act against me, seeing how I can easily _hurt_ her. I hope I'm being clear."

"You're very blunt."

"I want to get my message across without leaving any room for ambiguity. If you try to rebel, to rise up against me, Claire will suffer greatly. And you wouldn't want _that_ on your conscience, now, would you?"

"What if I try to run?"

She laughed icily.

"You can _try_ , but I think you'll find that escape is quite impossible."

***TSJWFKFEW***

That night, Claire was awoken by a terrible howl. She perked up, sensing something familiar in the cry.

(A dinosaur like me!)

It came again, echoing in the distance. Claire peered out the window, heart thumping uncontrollably.

(It's in distress!)

She bolted out of the room, leaving Owen behind. The bellow echoed again and again as she dashed through the tall grass, frantically searching for her kin. She let out a call of her own as she drew near, and was met with a desperate reply. She was about to burst out of the foliage, but she stopped herself just in time. Eli was lying in the grass, chained by the neck to a thick pole. He let out another miserable wail. Claire winced. She shouldn't _be_ here.

As she backed up, her heel crushed a rotting branch. Eli lifted his head and stared straight at her, squinting. He couldn't see her in the darkness. She continued to back away, but suddenly, his eyes illuminated, and she was caught in a pair of blue headlights. She gasped with fear, darting away immediately. Eli gazed at the place where she had been standing, then dimmed his lights. He understood now that no one was coming to help him. He had been calling out into the night for what felt like an eternity, and the only person who had even _considered_ tracking him down was someone who hated him to the core. He was _really, actually, honestly_ alone.

And that's when he decided to _do_ something about it.


	12. Peter's Viridescent Laser Eye

High above the misty cliffs of Isla Nublar, at the peak of a billowing waterfall, a man and a woman stood nobly at the summit of a great mountain. They scanned the landscape with trepidation, hoping that their proposed "trial run" would go as planned. Claire peered over the edge of the cliff, gulping.

"I'm having second thoughts."

Owen knew that she was talking about flying, but his mind added 'about our relationship' to the end of her sentence . . . perhaps a manifestation of his secret fear. He tried to push the thought away, but the fact that he'd had it at all meant that things were going wrong. And it wasn't just his imagination, either. He was positive that he'd hurt Claire more than he'd every hurt her before during Moonwatcher's question-answering-whatever-it-was. She hadn't been the same since then, often adopting a haunted look that was somehow more worrying than her usual, distant, possibly-thinking-about-murder stare. Owen had broken her. Traumatized her, even. Why was she still _with_ him? She must hate herself, obviously.

(Don't blame Claire. The reason she hates herself is because of what _you_ said.)

"Do you wanna turn back?" he asked.

She paced near the ledge, staring down into the misty abyss.

"I don't know. We've come so far, and I don't want to throw it all away."

(Is she doing the whole double-speak thing on _purpose_?)

(No, she's not being duplicitous. _You're_ being paranoid.)

(Fuck, what if I'm wrong?)

(Just _talk_ to her, you piece of shit! You're making things _worse_!)

(Oh god, what would I even _say_? If I open my mouth, I'll just end up admitting that I'm not comfortable sleeping with her, and it'll be like last time, only worse.)

( _Are_ you even uncomfortable with it, though?)

The short answer was 'yes'. The longer and more nuanced answer was 'yes, but only because of what might happen if I do'. If he made the decision to engage in a night of intimacy, there was no turning back. Whether it was morally wrong or not, it would be _done_ , and it wasn't the kind of thing that could be un-done. What if Claire changed back into a human? They'd have to go on knowing that they'd done something abnormal- or worse- _better_ than normal. Oh, god, what if he liked it _more_ when she was a dinosaur?

(You'll never know, because you're _not_ going to do it. You made a promise, and you're sticking to it.)

(A promise to _who_ , though?)

(To _myself_ . . . and to Claire, indirectly.)

(She'd be happier if you kept an open mind.)

(I can't know that for sure. What if I fuck things up more than I already have? What if the other side is a billion times worse than what's going on between us right now?)

(Nothing could be worse than _this_.)

(That's what I _always_ say right before everything turns to shit. How long until I hit rock bottom? What if I'm not even _close_?)

(You have to _try_ to make things right, at least.)

(This is a _bad idea_. Sex isn't the answer. I can find a way to make Claire feel good about herself without whipping my dick out.)

(So why _haven't_ you?)

Owen frowned sadly, staring at a distracted Claire. He watched as her quills bristled, and imagined-

(Stop it.)

-and her legs were really, _really_ long, so-

(Don't you fucking _dare_.)

-notice that her scales were so slick and shiny-

(STOP.)

-just press up against her like-

"Owen?"

He snapped to attention.

"Urf?"

"I said: do you think we can make this jump?"

"No."

"What?"

He gulped.

"I mean, yes. Yes, we can, but we have to be careful."

She bit her lower beak.

"If I screw up, we could both _die_."

"Moonwatcher said that she has everything under control."

"She's standing at the base of the cliff with a trampoline."

Owen peered over the ledge.

"Ah. Maybe we shouldn't put our faith in her after all."

"Not sure why we even _considered_ it."

After a long pause, Claire took a deep breath.

"Well, I suppose we should give it a try."

"Alright."

Owen climbed atop her back, sliding his legs between her plates. His hands drifted down her sides, tenderly brushing her scales on the way down.

( _Too much!_ She can tell that you're being weird!)

He patted her neck gently.

"On the count of three. One . . ."

He squeezed her torso between his legs, heart suddenly racing as he realized how dangerous this was.

"Two . . ."

(Oh, god, I forgot what it felt like to be this _close_ to h-)

He didn't get to say "three", because Claire made the leap while his mind was busy with other thoughts, and he suddenly found himself gripping her neck in panic.

"OH, SHIT!"

His feet tingled as he gazed at the trees below, which were small and dense, like a forest of broccoli. The canopy's colors seemed to intensify as he became hyper-aware of just how high they had started, and how fast they were plummeting. His grip loosened around Claire, and he nearly fainted. Just as he was passing out, she spread her wings. The sudden halt caused his face to slam into her body, nearly leaving him toothless.

"Sorry!" she squeaked.

"That's okay . . ." he replied woozily.

Claire's wings rustled gently as they flew towards the setting sun. Owen found himself dazzled by the orange light that danced over her scales.

"This is going well, all things considered."

"I'm going to try flapping."

She beat her wings. Owen shifted his thighs as he sensed thick muscles rippling beneath her ebony hide.

(Don't you _dare_ get a boner at this altitude!)

(Oh, Christ, she would definitely be able to _feel_ it, wouldn't she?)

(But you're not _getting_ one, are you? You're _not_ attracted to dinosaurs.)

(Of course not. It's just the fear of flying. Adrenaline, maybe.)

(Focus on something else.)

(Okay . . . think, Owen, think . . . Well, there's a lovely sunset right in front of you.)

(. . . Jesus Christ.)

(I'm _trying_ , okay?!)

His blood turned to ice when he realized that Claire was staring at him over her shoulder.

"Whatcha thinking about?"

"Sunset," he squeaked.

She quirked a brow and smiled.

"I think I know what's _really_ going on, here."

(FUCK, SHE CAN SMELL IT ON YOU!)

" _You're_ afraid of flying!" she laughed.

Owen nodded emphatically.

"Yep, definitely. I don't much like heights. Not one bit."

She smiled warmly.

"That's okay. I'll be gentle. Do you want me to land soon?"

"Only when you're ready."

"I can drop you off and go it alone."

"Uh-"

( _Now_ look what you've done! You were supposed to be spending time with her, but you messed it up by being a dishonest piece of sh-)

They both screamed as something large and blue streaked in front of them. Claire fell off-balance and tumbled backwards, pawing at empty air. Owen lost his grip and slipped from her back.

"OWEN!"

She made a grab for him, but toppled forward clumsily. When she righted herself, she made a second dive and just barely managed to nab him.

"Hang on!"

Before passing out, Owen caught a glimpse of their attacker. It was a pteranodon that glimmered in the sunset, probably because it was partly made of metal. The most alarming feature of this animal, aside from the laser-gun on its right shoulder, was its left eye, which glowed green like a radioactive emerald. He wondered if it would be best to flee, but the thin air got the better of him, and the world became a tangle of darkness and distant sounds.

He heard the monster's jet engines getting louder.

Someone screamed.

***TSJWFKFEW***

When Owen awoke, he found himself tied to a thick, wooden pole. Worse still, he shared the space with Moonwatcher. Zia, Franklin, Gunnar, and Wheatley were there as well. They had apparently been bound up for a few minutes, at least, considering they were in the middle of attempting an escape. Moonwatcher fidgeted eratically, sticking her tongue out of the corner of her mouth.

"Almost . . . _Almost_ . . . You know what, I think I might have actually tied us up _more_."

Owen frowned. His head was pounding.

"What happened?"

Moonwatcher raised her eyebrows.

"Oh, you're awake! Do you remember Peter?"

" _Who_?"

"One of Eli's henchmen. You never met him."

"Then why did you ask me if I remem-"

"Turns out, he ended up as a pteranocar, only he's more of an airplane-type hybrid. I guess the universe considers airplanes 'flying cars', so he's a weird-looking cyborg, and he also has a laser-gun and knife-fingers and a reading lamp instead of a dick, which I have dubbed 'Fuxo'."

Owen narrowed his eyes.

"Okay . . . but what _happened_?"

Moonwatcher shrugged helplessly.

"Somehow, he managed to track down Eli, who cut a deal with him. They worked as a team to overpower us and steal our largest hovercraft."

"Uh-"

"The good news is, I managed to get a hold of my iPad Mini, as you can see. Using my nimble toes, I was able to continue narrating, though I had nothing to write about for the past hour, seeing how you were unconscious."

"Did I hit my head?"

"No, you fainted like a pussy. Then they drugged you when you started to wake up."

"With chloroform?"

"Possibly. They rifled through my backpack, which means chloroform is not off the table.

"Jesus Christ . . ."

Franklin squirmed around uncomfortably.

"Get us _out of here_!"

"I'm trying, I'm trying!" Moonwatcher whined.

Zia kicked her legs, growling with frustration.

"You're a real lousy supervisor, Moonwatcher! Not only did you let our world descend into chaos, but-"

"Shhh," Moonwatcher said, placing her finger over Zia's beak, "I need to focus."

"Fine."

They sunk into the ropes, sighing deeply. After a beat, Franklin lifted his head.

"Wait. Moonwatcher, do you have a free hand?"

"Um . . . no?"

"Then how did you shoosh Zia?"

Moonwatcher blinked.

"Oh . . . Hang on. Yeah, my left hand is free. Would you look at th-"

"UNTIE US!"

She gulped nervously.

"Sure thing."

After a bit of fumbling, the ropes fell away. Owen stood immediately.

"We have to find Claire."

Moonwatcher grabbed his arm.

"Hang on. We don't even know where we _are_."

The gang spread out, scanning their surroundings. The room they occupied was some kind of storage facility, as evidenced by the comedically old-fashioned crates with labels such as "fragile goods" and "miscellaneous objects". Owen dusted off a box that read "STUFF". He twisted his mouth.

"This is strange. Why are these crates marked with such vague descriptions?"

Moonwatcher grabbed a crowbar from a hook on the wall.

"Only one way to find out."

She wedged the bar under the lid of a large crate and pushed down. The cover popped off, and the walls fell away shortly after. Several cylinders of dynamite rolled across the floor. Owen gasped, stumbling backwards in panic.

"We're all gonna die!"

"Only if something sets them off," Moonwatcher corrected.

Gunnar stared down at the explosives, chest heaving. His pupils were almost pinpoints. Taking note of his panicked expression, Wheatley smirked and crept up behind him.

"BANG!"

The poor dinosaur let out a terrified bellow and bolted across the room, climbing up a support beam before sliding down due to his excessive dinosaur-weight. A voice came from the other side of a wooden door.

"HEY! What's all the noise about? . . ."

Moonwatcher gulped.

"Uh-oh . . ."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Claire's eyes fluttered open. When her vision stopped doubling, she realized that she was tied up in the back of a large aircraft. The walls hummed noisily, making her dizzy. She rolled over, grumbling woozily as she stretched out her legs. Though her ears were ringing, she could hear dull voices. She shook her head, and after a few seconds, she recognized one of the conversers.

"Eli? . . . ELI, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

The voices stopped. A metal door hissed open, and Eli rolled through it, eyes wide.

"What the hell? . . . WHAT THE HELL!"

He whipped around to face the pilot: a cobalt pteranodon with mechanical parts that clicked irritably.

"Peter, what the fuck is _Claire_ doing here?"

"I was met with some resistance when I incapacitated the others, so I took a hostage before knocking them out."

Eli met Claire's furious glare with panic.

"Oh, no . . ."

He turned around and approached the flying reptile, who was sharpening his blade-claws on the control panel.

"We have to go back. Right now."

"Why?" he asked with a sneer.

"Because this wasn't part of the plan!" Eli spat, "No one was supposed to get hurt!"

"She isn't hurt. She's just tied up. If it bothers you that much, we can ditch her when we land."

Eli's breathing slowed.

"Okay, okay . . . No, wait, this _isn't_ okay. Can't we just take her back?"

"It's too late. We'd be risking capture if we turned around now. I don't know about you, but _I_ don't want to see the inside of a prison again."

"You're a _felon_?"

"Yeah, but it's not like I put that on my resumé, boss. Besides, ain't _you_ a felon too?"

"He's a murderer," Claire hissed.

Eli gulped, tapping his claws together nervously.

"Couldn't we let her fly out the side door or something? You have wings, right, Claire?"

Peter bobbed his head, considering the idea.

"She'll get sucked into the engine, but that could solve our problem too . . ."

Eli snapped his jaws, making the pteranodon crumple his twiggy neck.

"We're not killing _anyone_ , and _especially_ not Claire!"

"We might _have_ to. What's more important: some do-gooder dinosaur or your _freedom_?"

Eli considered this, then rolled over to Claire. He untied the ropes that bound her feet.

"If you're gonna throw her overboard, you may as well leave her tied up."

"I'm not throwing her overboard. I'm setting her free."

"So she can fly away? I already told you, the engine will-"

"Turn us around. We're going to bring her home safely."

Peter's eye twitched.

" _Excuse_ me? . . ."

"You heard what I said. Bring us back."

The pteranodon cocked his head, then slipped down from his seat, crawling forward on bent wings.

"I didn't come this far just to be betrayed by a feeble heart. If the girl is going to be a problem, maybe it'd be best if we got rid of her, once and for all."

A thin, green beam surged from his eye, landing on Claire's chest. The gun on his shoulder started humming.

"PETER, NO!"

"Sorry, boss. It's for your own good."

As a blast of green energy erupted from Peter's shoulder, Eli knocked Claire out of the way. She grunted as she hit the wall, momentarily stunned. The air around her was sucked through a hole in the back of the plane, and the resulting wind made her shiver. She lifted her head and noticed Eli lying on his side. Smoke rose from his neck. Still partly tied up, she hobbled over to his motionless body.

"Eli . . ."

He groaned and lifted his head. He was just singed. She let out a sigh of relief, but jolted when a green dot appeared between her eyes. She yelped and darted to the side as Peter shot again. Having no arms for balance, she landed on her back, kicking her legs in a desperate attempt to find her footing. Peter continued to shoot in blasts until he realized that it was getting him nowhere. He set his shoulder-gun to a steady beam. Claire screamed as the laser drew near. Suddenly, Eli sprang into action. He pushed Peter backwards with his snout, but the resulting path of the laser cut away more metal, making the hole even larger than before. Claire felt herself being sucked towards it. Meanwhile, Eli had knocked Peter out a side door by the front of the ship, but realizing that the engine was just behind it, grabbed his wing with his tiny arms, saving him from the rapidly-spinning blades.

"Don't let go, Peter!"

The reptile snapped at him furiously. Eli flinched, and noticed Claire sliding towards the open hole.

"CLAIRE!"

"Eli, help!"

He looked from her to Peter, and making a decision, let his former employee go just as he was about to peck his eye out. The pteranodon shot backwards, flapping frantically before being sucked into the engine. When he came out the other side, he was motionless. His torn-up body glided gently towards the calm ocean below. Eli stared at the scene with wide eyes before remembering that he was needed. He rolled to the side and grabbed Claire just as she was about to slip through the hole, biting down on the ropes that bound her and pulling hard. When she was free, she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him quite unexpectedly.

"Thank you for doing the right thing."

"I . . . I let him go, and- and now he's-"

"It's okay, Eli. You couldn't have saved him."

"I . . . I could have-"

They both shrieked as the airship rocked haphazardly. Claire peered down at the distant ocean.

"Can you fly us to safety?"

Eli shook his head.

"No, I can't. Peter was a pilot, but I'm just . . . _me_. I'm not gonna make it."

Claire covered her mouth.

"So we're going to die? . . ."

"No, not _you_. _You_ can fly out of that hole and land safely."

"But . . . But I can't just _leave_ you here . . ."

Eli smiled sadly.

"Sure, you can. What else is there to do? You can't carry me down, and _I_ can't . . . Well, I can't do _anything_ right. Except this one last thing, I suppose. I'm almost _relieved_ that it was all leading up to something, this mess of an existence I've had to endure. If saving you is my one good deed, that makes everything else worthwhile . . . Maybe not _worthwhile_ , but . . . but it all has a _point_ , now. My life . . . it wasn't a waste, and I'm going to be okay. Well, not _okay_ , since I'm going to die, but-"

"Eli."

"I'm not making myself clear," he gulped, "Listen, don't worry about me. All I ever wanted was to do right by you, and even though this is all my fault, I've been handed the chance to fix things, if only in part. I'll die a happy man, knowing you're safe. And . . . and even though it doesn't erase what I did, I think I can finally move on, you know?"

Claire's quills bristled as she churred with confusion.

"You're not making any sense!"

Eli laughed nervously.

"No, maybe not, but that's okay. I'm at peace, and it's not like I can survive this anyway, so you may as well save yourself and leave the cosmic 'meaning of life' stuff to me."

Tears pricked at Claire's eyes.

"I don't want you to die."

He smiled humbly.

"That's sweet of you to say, but I'm afraid I have no choice."

"There's _always_ a choice."

"Yeah, but some choices are hard. Right now, you have to choose between leaving me to die, and dying along with me. I think we _both_ know what you need to do."

Claire's throat wobbled as she let out a terrified gurgle. She looked into the eyes of a man who was only minutes away from death, and wondered how she could live with herself if she let him slip through her fingers.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Owen, Zia, Franklin, Gunnar, and Wheatley stared down at the unconscious body of a muscular Tyrannosaurus. Moonwatcher stepped down from his shoulder and brushed herself off casually.

"Well, that was surprisingly easy. Now, let's see what he has in his murse."

She rummaged through the thug's bag.

"Hm . . . Looks like there are enough weapons here for all of us, except Wheatley, who should not be armed, by all accounts. Owen, take this pistol. Zia, take this shotgun. Franklin, take this assault rifle. Gunnar, take this knife."

She shoved the weapons into their arms one by one. Franklin froze as he was handed the assault rifle.

"I've never shot a gun before."

"Then this should be a good learning experience."

The door slammed open once more.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

A well-dressed Gallimimus marched into the storage room, taking a drag from her cigarette holder as she looked over the unconscious dinosaur and the newly-armed crew.

"My, my! Nobody's ever taken out _Rob_ before, but I suppose I should have expected such nonsense from the famous _Moonwatcher_."

Moonwatcher crossed her arms.

"Give it up, Tits. We're putting your evil plot to an end . . . the plot involving Peter and Eli, not the underground drug ring. I still need my fix every now and then."

Owen blinked.

"Wait, is her name actually ' _Tits_ '?"

The Gallimimus adjusted her brassiere.

"Everyone kept calling me that, and I decided to roll with it."

"I see."

A long silence followed. Tits looked from Moonwatcher to Owen, then exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"So, you gonna go back to being tied up, or-"

"EVERYBODY, DUCK!" Gunnar shouted.

He threw his knife at the Gallimimus. The handle bounced off her chest, and the weapon clattered to the floor unceremoniously.

"Huh. Usually that works in movies," he remarked.

Moonwatcher rolled up her sleeves.

"Well, Gunnar may be useless, but it's still six against one, Tits. You sure you're up to the challenge?"

Zia clenched her fists.

"Yeah, Tits! You may be aptly-named, but soon, you're gonna be aptly fu . . . oh."

As electric bolts snapped off her body, dozens of fuses began to hiss with fire. Zia gulped.

"Right. We're in a room full of dynamite."

After a beat, everyone made a dash for the exit, piling up before making a quick escape. Wheatley was the last to squeeze through. He kicked the door shut as he fled, leaving Moonwatcher locked inside. She gulped.

"UH-OH."

***TSJWFKFEW***

"I can't just _leave_ you, Eli."

"This isn't up for debate, Claire!" he insisted, "I'm finished! _You_ still have a chance! Go!"

"What if I fly you to safety? I may not be able to carry you, but I can break your fall."

"I'm too heavy. I'll just drag you down, and we'll both drown in the ocean."

"There _has_ to be another way!"

His lip quivered.

"There _isn't_ , I promise. Just leave me."

The ship lurched. Eli started shaking.

"Hurry."

Claire peered over her shoulder.

"I've never flown this high before."

"You can do it. I believe in you."

"I . . . I suppose I don't have a choice . . . Goodbye, Eli, and . . . Goodbye."

He nodded.

"Goodbye."

As Claire waddled towards the gaping hole in the ship's hull, Eli suddenly sped forward.

"Wait, Claire! If I'm gonna die anyway, there's something I should tell you."

She turned.

"What is it?"

"I . . ."

He rubbed the back of his neck (or at least as far as his arms could reach).

"Oh, boy. This is awkward. Maybe I _shouldn't_ tell you. Does that make it worse? . . ."

"Eli!"

"Okay, okay! The truth is, I . . . You know what? I shouldn't have brought it up. Forget it. Just go about your business. Shoo."

Claire exhaled impatiently.

"Eli, if you're going to die, you may as well tell me whatever's on your mind."

"If I'm going to die, there's no _point_ . . . not that there was a point to begin with, of course, since-"

"Eli, I swear to god . . ."

He gulped.

"Okay. I'll say it really fast, so you don't have to wonder."

He took a deep breath.

"I lo-AH!"

They both shrieked as a flaming Moonwatcher burst through the hull and knocked them both out of the ship. As their narrator sped into the distance, they tumbled through the air, grabbing for support and finding nothing but emptiness. Finally, Claire grabbed Eli's horn with her foot and started flapping her newly-grown wings. He roared beneath her.

"Let go!"

"I won't!"

"Save yourself!"

"I'm going to lessen the impact."

"Bad idea! I can't let you get hurt again! Not because of _me_!"

He snapped at her leg. She yelped.

"Don't _bite_ me!"

"Let me go! I'm not worth saving!"

"Yes, you a-"

They landed in the ocean with a loud splash. Claire felt the wind being knocked out of her, but the icy water made the experience so much worse. She thrashed around underwater, trying to find a way out. The broken glow of a distorted moon gave her a clue. She paddled towards it. When she burst into the cool, evening air, she took a frantic breath, coughing uncontrollably afterward. Eli was nowhere to be seen. He must have sunk. Claire dipped her head underwater, and sure enough, her denser-than-water friend was staring up at her as he fell into the murky abyss. She took a deep breath and swam towards him. Moonlight reflected off his scales, adding a silver coat to the delicate bubbles that raced upwards from between his teeth, but he was approaching a foreboding gloom from which escape was impossible. If Claire lost him to the darkness, he would _never_ resurface. Her wings morphed into arms as she swam towards Eli, whose eyes were now closed. He seemed to have resigned himself to his fate, expecting no rescue from the woman who by all means had no reason to partake in one. When she reached out and took his cheeks in her paws, however, his eyes snapped open. Their shared gaze held more meaning than could be expressed in words, which made it all the more tragic that Claire hadn't caressed his face as a sign of affection. With an apologetic frown, she bashed her head against his. He jolted, and a set of airbags once again inflated from his posterior. They were dragged to the surface by the resulting buoyancy. A few minutes later, they washed up on the beach, wet and exhausted beyond reason. Eli coughed, sending a hail of sparks snapping out of his maw.

"Oh, god . . . Why couldn't I have turned into a boat? . . ."

"I wish I was part fish," Claire groaned.

"You _are_. We used Orca DNA- Oh, wait. That's not a fish. Nevermind."

He rolled onto his belly.

"Ugh . . . You _saved_ me."

"That's twice, now."

"Three times."

"I hope you appreciate all the work I put into rescuing you from certain death."

"I still think you shouldn't have done it."

Claire sighed.

"Eli, can't you just-"

"No, I can't. Whatever good you see in me is a lie. I'm not the kind of person who deserves to be saved."

"So why try to escape?"

He closed his eyes.

"I wanted to go far away so I wouldn't hurt anyone ever again."

"You could just . . . _not_ hurt people."

"It's in my nature. That's why I killed Lockwood. I'm a monster."

Claire bit her lower beak.

"Eli, I don't-"

"You know what I saw when I looked into his eyes? It wasn't betrayal. It was _anger_."

"So he _expected_ you to kill him?"

"No, no, it wasn't like that . . . He didn't see it coming, but when it happened . . . he _accepted_ it. He _believed_ that I was capable of murder. And he was right. I killed him in cold blood, and I didn't even know that I could do it until it was over. And now this is who I am. I'm a murderer. I _always_ was. I just didn't see it in myself, because I hoped . . . I hoped I was a better man than I actually was."

Claire sighed.

"What are we going to do with you, Eli Mills?"

"Well, if you really want my opinion, you shouldn't save me next time."

"You know I can't stop myself."

"I know. And I also know that as long as I'm alive, I'm going to keep _needing_ people. I can make a million promises to myself to stay away from you and everyone else, but I _always_ end up breaking them, because when I see you coming, part of me hopes that I can still fix this. But I _can't_. I'm not like Mr. Eversoll. I can't _be alone_. That's why I should leave: so I never have to face temptation. Everyone will be better off when I'm gone. Maybe I'll be able to start a new life, like you said."

"Eli, you don't have to do that . . ."

"Yes, I do. I'm getting off this island, no matter what it takes."

***TSJWFKFEW***

As she continued her ascent, somehow still shooting upwards at full speed, Moonwatcher shook her iPad mini with frustration.

"Don't you dare die on me! I charged you an hour ago, you lousy piece of-"

***TSJWFKFEW***

I backed away as Eli tried to get up, but his wheels slipped helplessly in the sand, and he struggled to so much as clear the ground in front of him. His engine revved as he accelerated, but cut out suddenly in an unhealthy-sounding sputter. He fell on his face, then spat out a mouthful of sand.

"Figures."

I sat beside him.

"That's okay. I'll wait here with you. _Someone_ is bound to find us."

He seemed surprised by the offer, but didn't protest. After a few minutes of silence, he noticed that I was shivering.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just cold."

"I have a heater."

He opened his maw and revealed a set of parallel slits on the roof of his mouth. I wasn't particularly keen to be _breathed on_ for an extended period of time.

"That's okay. I'll live."

We continue to lie there in silence until I felt him shaking beside me. I thought he might be cold too, but he was crying.

"What's wrong?"

". . . Everything. Just . . . _everything_."

I understood. What else was there to say? I already knew that he was having trouble coming to terms with his body, his past, and- Well, like he said: _everything_ \- and I already knew that I couldn't forgive him and that we weren't friends and that we had a casual rapport at the best of times, and a competitive antagonism at the worst of times- but all this confusion was thrown out the window when I looked down and realized that I had wrapped my arms around his neck, holding him close to my chest in a tight hug.

Now, how the fuck did _that_ happen?

Eli seemed just as surprised as _I_ was. He stared at me with still-leaking eyes, seeking an answer that I couldn't provide.

And even though he hadn't spoken . . . Well, he had a point. What the fuck was I _doing_?

(I started holding him, and I'm still holding him.)

Yes, but _why_?

(I have no idea, but I haven't let go.)

And let go, I would not. I rocked back and forth slowly, running my paw down his bumpy scales as he gradually became still. The bitter smell of sorrow left him, and for once, he didn't seem to be in any pain or distress. His chest rose and fell with long, deep breaths, and he closed his eyes. I suppose I must have done the same, because I woke up from a short nap a few minutes later. Eli was staring ahead, but his gaze wasn't vacant like it usually was.

"No one's come for us, yet," he whispered.

"I noticed."

"Do you think they'll be much longer?"

"Who knows."

He nodded.

". . . Claire . . . You're a really amazing person."

I didn't know how to respond. Why did he have to put me on the spot like that? Was I supposed to accept the compliment or point out how weird it was that he brought it up out of nowhere or-

"Thank you for everything you've done. I owe you big time. Not just for saving my life three times, but-"

" _Three_ times?"

Oh, fuck. The suicide thing. Right.

"Yes, at least three times," he repeated, ignoring my subtle wince, "You've given me more than I deserve. I should have realized sooner how lenient you were being with me, but I was so focused on the negative that . . . Well, I thought you were being cruel. But you _weren't_. You showed more patience and kindness than anyone else, and I'm sorry I let you down again."

"You didn't let me down."

"Low expectations?"

"No, not that. You tried to make a new life for yourself- in a very impulsive manner, mind you- but when the time came to choose between my safety or your freedom, you risked your life to make sure that no harm would come to me."

" _Of course_ I did. I couldn't let you get hurt again. Of the two of us, your life matters m-"

He broke off, realizing that that was probably a grim justification.

"Sorry. What I meant to say is that I'm doing my best to make up for the damage I've caused."

"Well, you could start by buying me a drink."

He blinked.

". . . _Seriously_?"

"Yeah. I don't think anyone is coming."

He hummed.

"Well . . . okay . . ."

***TSJWFKFEW***

A few minutes later, we found ourselves in a small pub by the beach. The bartender, a Carcharodontosaurus, poured my beer from the tap, and Eli's drink from a gas hose. Why he had that option available, I'll never know, but it was awfully convenient. Eli lifted his glass.

"To not dying in a fiery crash."

"To not dying in a fiery crash," I echoed.

As our glasses made contact, ethanol spilled from his cup into mine. He winced and nodded to the bartender.

"Can we get a refill?"

"You'll have to pay for it."

"Fine by me."

I was handed a fresh glass. I stared at my reflection in the golden-yellow fluid, thinking hard. I flinched as a cold droplet of water slid onto my paw. I shook it off and turned to my drinking partner.

"Eli, what were you going to tell me before we crashed?"

He winced, then took a deep breath.

"Are you genuinely asking, or do you want me to confirm what you already know?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"On whether or not I have it right."

He shrugged.

"Well, you're pretty clever, and I'm not smart enough to be subtle. I think you know what I was going to say, but if you need me to confirm your suspicions, I can. It doesn't matter now, of course."

I traced a water stain on the counter with my claw.

"Is it still true?"

He hesitated before answering, choosing his words carefully.

". . . _Yes_ , but this isn't going to affect anything. It's not like . . . Well, you _understand_ , right?"

"I do."

He bit his lip.

"Is this going to make things weird?"

I shrugged.

"Well, we're both dinosaurs, and we just escaped a giant hovercraft, so it's damn near impossible to 'make' this situation weird. To answer your question, I don't think it necessarily has to be an issue. As long as you don't try anything funny-"

"I would never."

"Right, so as long as you respect the fact that it's an inconvenience and nothing else, we're cool."

"Cool. Very cool."

He sipped his ethanol delicately.

"So, are we-"

"Friends?" I interjected.

"I was going to say 'all good'. I know we're not _friends_."

"Well, at the very least, we're not _enemies_ , either. I don't know what the future holds, but for now, let's just say you're a 'friendly acquaintance'."

"That's very generous of you."

He was one hundred percent sincere. I gave a half-smile.

"Well, that's what happens when you do the right thing. I'm glad you decided to follow through on improving yourself, Eli. Not many people would. I still haven't forgiven you for what you did, but . . . I dunno. Maybe it's possible. We'll see."

For a second, I thought his brain might short-circuit.

"I can't tell you how happy that makes me . . ."

I lifted a claw in warning.

"No promises."

He nodded rapidly.

"I know, I know. I'm just glad that there's a chance."

He held out his paw for me to shake.

"So . . . friendly acquaintances?"

I rolled my eyes.

"You know, most relationships don't start with a handshake."

"Then it's a good thing I don't have hands."

I smiled and shook his paw.

"Friendly acquaintances."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Owen arrived just in time to see Claire and Eli shaking hands. Although he wasn't sure what had led to this moment, he had trouble believing that Eli could do anything to merit a display of trust, especially after what had just transpired. Claire noticed him standing in the doorway of the pub and gave a little jump.

"Owen! You made it."

"Where the _hell_ have you been?"

He had intended to be gentler about it, but the words slipped out of his mouth like putrid slugs. He regretted them immediately, but withheld from back-pedalling.

"I'm so sorry," Claire breathed as she stepped down from her stool, "I washed up on the beach with Eli, and nobody came to get us, so-"

"So you went out for drinks?"

She rubbed her forearm.

"Yeah . . ."

Moonwatcher pushed Owen aside, marching straight up to Eli.

"You're in big trouble, mister!"

He nodded sadly.

"I know. I won't cause anymore trouble, I promise. You can lock me up again. I won't try to fight it."

"I sure _hope_ not, because you're gonna be doing _solitary_ for a long time!"

A twinge of fear momentarily distorted his face, but Claire stepped in before Moonwatcher could continue.

"I don't think solitary confinement is the best idea, both for Eli _and_ in general. How do you expect to rehabilitate him if all you do is shut him away from any potential emotional support?"

"He _can't_ be rehabilitated."

"That's not true. Give him a chance. Have him stay with Iris. He'll get better, you'll see."

Eli stared at her with disbelief.

"Claire! You don't have to-"

"You've been doing more harm than good, Moonwatcher," Claire continued, "Isolating him from society isn't helping. Let his friends take care of him."

"Eli doesn't _have_ any friends."

"He has _us_. Zia, Franklin, Gunnar, Owen, and I can keep an eye on him. No cages, no ropes . . . just supervision."

"Sounds risky."

"He already escaped under _your_ system. Why not let _us_ do our own thing? If he tries to escape, we'll hand him over to you, but otherwise, he'll remain in our care."

Moonwatcher rubbed her chin.

"Alright. I suppose it'll balance out the workload, at least. I'll let him stay with your crew, but I have one condition. Eli must attend your training sessions to learn how to apply Owen's lessons to his _own_ self-improvement."

"Done," Eli stated definitively.

Owen uncrossed his arms, lifting a finger.

"Now, hang on-"

To his surprise, Claire held him back. She looked into his eyes and shook her head. His sourness faltered.

"Don't you remember what he _did_ to us? . . ."

"I know. I've made my decision. I want to help him."

Owen shook his head.

"People like Eli can't be helped."

"Eli _wants_ to be helped. That's exactly why he _can_ be helped."

Eli lifted a claw gently as he offered input.

"Claire, you don't have to make this your personal responsibility. With everything you've been going through-"

"That's enough out of _both_ of you. I can make my _own_ decisions."

Eli conceded his point, nodding gently. Owen continued to glare at her.

"You're making a big mistake."

"I don't remember asking your opinion."

He sighed with worry.

"Why are you _doing_ this, Claire?"

"That's none of your business. Just trust that I know what I'm doing, and leave me be."

Owen said nothing. He turned and marched straight out the door, leaving Claire and Eli alone with Moonwatcher. Eli bit his lip.

"Claire, I know you've made your decision, but I feel like I'm interfering with-"

"That's enough, Eli. We'll get you settled tonight and discuss this in the morning."

He nodded, then leaned forward and gave her a hug.

"Claire, thank you, and I'm sorry, and I hope I can repay you someday, and I'm humbled by your mercy and-"

"I know, I know. I'm tired. I need to get home."

He let her go.

"Right, right . . . Do you need a ride?"

"You can walk me home, since you're coming anyway."

"Great! Where should I stay?"

"There's an empty room next to mine. Moonwatcher, can you get us the-"

She pulled a room key from behind her back and placed in in Claire's palm.

". . . Yeah, that. Here you go, Eli."

He took the card between his claws and stared down at it with wonderment.

"Is this really _happening_? . . ."

"Seems like it," Claire drawled with exhaustion.

Eli held the card against his chest and nodded.

"I'm ready. I promise not to let you down . . . again."

"You never let me down. I had low expectations until now."

Eli smiled.

"Then I promise not to let you down."

Moonwatcher clapped her hands, backing away hastily.

"Great! I'll leave you to it, then."

Eli smiled down at Claire, who nodded to the door. They stepped (and rolled) outside, crossing a field of wet, green grass. The air was cold, but Eli didn't seem to mind. It was as though he was taking it all in for the first time. Out of nowhere, Claire came to a stop and turned to face him.

"Eli?"

"Yes?"

"How long have you . . . you know?"

"Oh, um . . . A _long_ time."

" _How_ long?"

"Since you came to the Estate."

"Really? And you _still_ sent me away to the island?"

He nodded guiltily.

"That was a _big_ mistake . . . but you already know that."

"You didn't have to stand by your decision, you know."

". . . I know. But I _did_. I hurt you so many times, and it got harder and harder as I realized just how wrong I was, but . . . Well, it took me a long time to do the right thing. Or to _try_ , I guess. I keep messing things up . . ."

"And now?"

"I'll do my best. And if I screw up again, I'll-"

"No, I mean . . . how do you _feel_ now?"

His throat quivered.

"I'm not gonna lie to you, Claire. It hasn't faded with time. Quite the opposite, in fact. But it doesn't matter. We don't have to talk about it, and I _definitely_ don't have to _think_ about it."

"That's okay. I don't care what goes on in your head. Honestly, I'm just glad that _someone_ is capable of-"

She swallowed.

"Nevermind. I don't know what I'm saying."

Eli nodded, avoiding her gaze.

"It's been a long day."

"Yes, it has."

". . . Claire?"

"Yes, Eli?"

"Is this going to make things weird?"

"I don't think so. We have an understanding, right?"

"Absolutely."

"Then I think we can leave it be."

"Alright. But just so you know, there are plenty of people who care about you. Zia and Franklin and Gunnar and Owen and Maisie . . . they're your family, and they _love_ you."

"That's _different_ , though."

"Not with _Owen_."

She went rigid, quills bristling.

"Okay, _now_ you made thing weird."

"I'm sorry . . ."

"No, it's okay. I just . . . it's a lot to take in."

"Yeah. But what I said was true, just so you know."

"How do you figure?"

"Oh, come on. He _loves_ you. You know it."

"But he's not _attracted_ to me."

"Yes, he is. Don't tell me you don't smell it on him. _Your_ nose is better than _mine_."

Claire shrugged.

"Smells don't mean anything. You've seen the way he acts around me."

"He's just scared, like all of us. If you talk to him, I'm sure you two can work things out."

"I _hope_ so . . . You know, I'm surprised at how helpful you're being."

He laughed.

"Well, _that's_ a bad sign."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, well . . . that's just what friends do."

He caught himself.

"Sorry, I meant- Crap, what was the word you used?"

"Doesn't matter. We're here."

They stood in front of the hotel, basking in a glow that illuminated them from beyond glass doors. Eli cocked his head.

"Are we . . . going inside?"

"Yeah. We are."

After taking a deep breath, she held out her paw.

"Friends?"

He shook it.

"Only if you want to be."

"Alright. Goodnight, Eli."

"Goodnight, Claire."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Maisie rolled over in bed when she heard a deep snuffing sound. She peeked through her blinds, terrified that she'd come face to face with a monster, but instead, she caught sight of a canine sniffing the lawn outside the hotel. It was large, taller than a truck, even, and seemed to be not quite a hyena and not quite a dog. Its armour clanked noisily as it pressed its nose into the grass. Maisie gulped and let her fingers slip down from the blinds, but they clattered together noisily. The animal lifted its head and stared straight at her. Without missing a beat, the creature leapt into the tree outside her window. It knocked on the glass with a black paw.

"Little girl, can you let me in?"

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

"It's okay. I'm an officer of the law."

"Do you have a badge?"

The dog pulled a medallion from her back pocket. Maisie wasn't sure how to respond to this. On one hand, she had been told to obey police officers. On the other hand, trusting strangers didn't feel right, no matter _what_ their job was.

"Why have you come here?" she quavered.

"I'm looking for an escaped criminal. I tracked her this far, but I'm not certain she's actually _here_. Have you seen a giant bat lately?"

"No, and I've never seen one _before_ now. My mother can _almost_ change into a bat, though."

The dog wrinkled her nose.

"I'll bet that's why my Moonstone has been acting up."

She pulled a smooth, grey rock from her shoulder bag.

"This stone glows white when a bat is present. If your mother has been changing back and forth, I'll bet she's been causing it to flicker. If a _real_ bat was nearby, it wouldn't cut out so suddenly, unless they travelled to another world."

The hound placed the stone on Maisie's windowsill, then pulled a thin, metal tube from the same pouch.

"Keep this with you, little girl, and give me a whistle if you see a bat. She _must_ be brought to justice."

Maisie stared down at the artifacts uncertainly.

"My mother says that bats are friendly. A snail told her so."

The canine laughed.

"You poor child. You've been misinformed. Bats are _terrifying_ creatures. They'll suck your blood and give you rabies. You don't want _rabies_ , do you?"

Maisie pictured a black monster with red eyes and white fangs. Suddenly, bats weren't sounding so cute. Dogs, on the other hand, were supposed to be man's best friend. Maisie _wasn't_ a man, but she got the basic idea. She opened the window a crack and pulled the stone and whistle to her side.

"I'll let you know if I see a bat."

"Good girl. If anyone asks, just tell them that you were given these instructions by Captain Stacy."

"Okay."

The dog winked, then bounded away, disappearing into the night. Maisie looked down at the whistle in her hand. She felt an immense responsibility weighing her down.

She couldn't disobey an authority figure, _could_ she? Slipping the stone into her pocket, she decided to ask her mother.

As she stepped into the hall, however, she realized two things. One, there was a _reason_ she hadn't seen her parents all day. Two, that reason was that they had returned with her least favourite person. She stared at the red autosaur, backing away from her mother with an expression of absolute betrayal.

"What's _he_ doing here?" she hissed.

Claire swallowed nervously.

"Maisie, what are you doing up so late? Didn't Iris put you to bed?"

She wasn't having any of her shit. Claire realized that it would be impossible to sidestep this development.

"Maisie, sweetheart, Eli is going to stay in the hotel with us, but you don't have to see him if you don't want to. I know how you feel about-"

"He belongs in a cage."

"Maisie!"

"He _does_! Why would you bring him _here_ , after what he did to us?"

Claire took a deep breath.

"Maisie, he's apologized, and he's willing to change. I know that doesn't undo everything, but-"

She wheeled around and slammed the door behind her, locking Claire out of her room.

"Maisie!"

The doorknob rattled. Maisie stepped back as Claire knocked on the door.

"Maisie, come out. This isn't what you _think_ it is . . ."

She sniffled, lip quivering, and after stumbling backwards in shock, flung herself onto her bed and sobbed into the pillow. Claire's pleas rang in her ears, utterly _meaningless_ after this unexpected change. She wasn't sure how long she stayed there, but she gave up eventually. She could hear Owen scolding her in the next room over.

Good. She _deserved_ it.

Maisie rolled over and grabbed her stuffed Claire, which she flung against the wall with an unhinged fury.

"I _HATE_ YOU!"

The toy landed on her dresser, and the voicebox came to life.

"I love you."

Maisie squeaked and wrapped her arms around her knees. She hid her face and cried for what felt like hours. Finally, she sniffled and pulled the Moonstone out of her pocket.

Claire had betrayed her, but someone still needed her help.


	13. Bryce's Marzipan Bat Fur

Oh, god, there she is. What do I say? Just hello? Fuck, my voice is gonna crack if I do. Just think of something. Hurry. Quick.

Okay good start. On topic, sounds like a casual conversation . . .

 _Fuck_ , I shouldn't have said that. We're not on a first-name basis.

 _Double fuck_ , I shouldn't have said _that_ either. How many Eli's _are_ there in this house, for Christ's sake!

 _Triple fuck_ , she already _knows_ that. Why else would I _be_ here? Jesus Christ, this is _not_ going well. Keep it together, keep it together . . .

Fuck, she's gonna think that that was a jab at her.

She _remembers_ me? Jesus Christ, she's good. She's gonna figure it out, isn't she? I'll bet she already knows. She can probably see through me like a window.

Oh, fuck, I sound like a dork. Alright, how do I recover from this?

Yeah, that didn't sound foreboding _at all_. Good job, Eli. You really nailed it. Useless piece of shit!

She has nice teeth. Was she _always_ this pretty, or did I just not notice it before? Oh, shit, Grady said they split up, didn't he? She might still be single-

Bad idea! Christ, what am I _thinking_? . . .

Alright, keep her invested. What are some fun facts? Shit, she probably heard this already. She worked at the fucking park, and she's way more "with it" than _I_ am.

Shit, I should be looking at her. What if she sees it in my eyes? What if she realizes that I'm a fraud? AH!

She's just walking past. Fuck. Don't be so jumpy. Calm down. Breathe.

Okay, walk casually.

 _Too_ casual! I should have kept my hand up. No, wait, then it feels like a lecture. What's more natural? Shit, she's talking.

Oh, okay. She seems happy enough. She's enjoying the tour, at least. Good. We're doing better. Keep going.

Fuck, I sound so _wooden_. She can tell that I'm lying, I just know it!

Okay, don't walk into the fossil display by accident. That would be a disaster.

Good. We're doing good. Make her believe it. Emote. There we go.

AH! Okay, don't panic, he's not here for _you_. We're having a regular meeting, just like we planned. Nobody suspects a thing.

Fuck, they're probably closer with each other than _I_ am with anyone in this mansion. What does that say about my relationships? Nothing. Calm down.

Okay, he's going off on a tangent. Let _him_ explain. Pretend to care. That's it. Good.

Wait, is that her _bra_? I can _totally_ see the line through her sweater-

FOCUS.

Okay, yeah, he's going on and on about the philosophy of saving extinct creatures, blah, blah, blah . . . Christ, can this be _over_? She doesn't need to know any of this extra stuff, Ben, so just shut up and let me get this over with!

Fuck, she has nice legs.

AH! Look sad, look sad!

There we go. Reflecting on the past, being pensive and whatnot . . . I'm really nailing this! Good job, me!

Oh, thank god. You're a lifesaver, Iris.

Fuck, now she's gonna start calling me by my first name. Thanks, asshole.

Wait, that's a good thing.

No, don't get attached. You might have to-

No, no, no, no, n-

SHIT! I TOLD YOU TO STAY IN YOUR ROOM, MAISIE! Lousy little twerp . . .

Okay, you've practiced this story a billion times. Don't fuck it up.

Jesus, why do I always sound so _awkward_? I think she bought it, though. Good.

Oh, great! She's on board. Maybe.

Okay, just lead her upstairs, make small talk-

Wow, I'm surprised that she remembers that. No, fuck, what am I saying? I almost ruined her life that day.

Shit, I _still_ might ruin her life.

Aw, man, after all of that, she considers it a fond memory. No _wonder_ she remembers me. I don't deserve this.

Don't look sad. She'll suspect something.

FUCK. Pretend to be pensive, pretend to be pensive.

Okay, good, I killed two birds with one stone. It feels good to get that apology off my chest. She really deserves better.

And now I'm screwing her over. Great.

Alright, show her the plan. That's what we're here for. No reason to act suspicious.

God, why do I even _bother_ explaining this? She already knows what I'm talking about.

Fuck, am I leaning too close? What if she thinks that I'm flirting with her?

Shit! Don't flatter her like this. It's suspicious, is what it is . . .

Oh. Now she's doing it, too. Is she flirting _back_?

Wait. _I'm_ not flirting. Christ. What am I _doing_?

Oh, she's just invested in the dinosaurs. Makes sense. Why would she want someone like _me_?

Tell her about the raptor. Get it out of the way. Deep breaths.

Wow, I knew Grady wasn't exactly a deep thinker, but even _I_ could have come up with a better name.

Oh, what about "Falcon"? That would be so _badass_ . . .

Okay, here's the hard part. They parted on bad terms, so-

-so they're not an item anymore.

Is she seeing someone else? She must be busy with her Dinosaur Preservation Group or Protection Group or whatever it was called. Fuck, I'd better look it up later. Man, she must be so grateful for what I'm doing- what I'm _pretending_ to do, rather. That gives me an in.

Shit, I shouldn't even be _thinking_ about this.

Still . . .

Okay, okay. Just wait until this is all over. _If_ and _when_ she gets back from the island, I can make a move.

Oh my gosh, I should send a couple of dinosaurs to the new island and bring her there so she can see what they're like in nature!

No, that's too much work. Keep the lie simple, Eli.

Oh, good. She's nodding. She'll convince Grady, no problem. Shit, _I'd_ follow those thighs to a billion burning islands, no problem.

Stay focused.

Okay, everything is going as planned. Even if she doesn't convince Grady, I still have _her_ , which means I can track the raptor. And if she brings her ex to the island, there's always a chance that he'll get eaten.

God, I hope they don't reconnect.

Naw, that's highly unlikely. She's too good for that loser. And he's probably going to die.

Eli Mills, you've done it again!

. . .

Oh, god. This was a mistake.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Okay, I'll just say it. I _like_ being around Eli. Something about him just makes me _happy_. Maybe it's because he says nice things about me. I mean, I usually _hate_ it when people shower me with compliments, because I know they're just being fake to get a favor out of me, but Eli is so _honest_ about it. I'll be talking about something that's been bugging me, like my ugly feet, and he'll reply with, "Oh, really? I think they're kind of nice." Like, he's genuinely _surprised_ when I talk about how much I hate myself, because . . . well, because from _his_ point of view, it seems like everything I despise about my appearance is actually _attractive_ , and self-evidently so. And when he compliments me, he compliments me _right_. What do I mean by that? Well, he doesn't try to argue with me or invalidate my feelings. Even if he disagrees with my assessments, he'll actually _listen_ to what I have to say. I often notice that I've been going off on long tangents without realizing it, and that a good five minutes may have passed without Eli getting a word in. More surprising than the fact that he doesn't interrupt me is that he's still listening when I finally decide to end my rant. He looks at me with those big, blue eyes, completely invested in what I'm saying, just as though the menial problems I have mean the world to him. I can tell when people are losing interest in a conversation, and Eli's mind somehow doesn't wander when I'm talking.

I'm not used to being _listened_ to. If it was Owen, he'd probably cut me off to tell me that I'm wrong, or else he'd make a joke to lighten the mood, and if he ever waited for me to finish, he'd reply with, "That's why we need to _fix_ you." Even at the best of times, the only tangible support he can offer is empty platitudes that subtly place the blame on _me_ for being upset. If I struggle with a training exercise, he'll tell me, "Hey, you're still learning. Everyone feels anxious when they're put on the spot." Yeah, thanks Owen. I really needed to hear that my emotions are just some run-of-the-mill reflex instead of a dangerous force that's slowly tearing me apart. And, oh god, the other day, I was telling him how angry I was at Zia for comparing me to a cow, and he said, "She didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sure she was just trying to be funny." I _know_ she was, Owen! I'm not imperceptive, and I can tell when people are aiming for comedy. That doesn't make it hurt any less! And- and- Okay, so this one time, I was struggling with the gun exercise, and I got fed up and started crying, and I was like, "I don't know why I even _bother_!" and the always-sympathetic Owen replied with, "Because you want to get better." Everything he says is _technically_ true, but he's just so _condescending_ , pretending to be "wise" with his constant positivity. He's trying to be a self-help book, but he just comes off as a complete asshole. It's like he's looking down on me for even _feeling_ these things, like having emotional breaking points makes me less "enlightened" than _he_ is, what with his total lack of compassion. But this shouldn't be some student/master relationship. I'm not his pupil, and I'm _not_ one of his _damn animals_! I know he's only taking this approach because he doesn't want to hurt my feelings again, but it's still not helping. He's so _fake_ , and he thinks I can't see it, even though it's painfully obvious. He's trying to _trick_ me. But he's underestimated my abilities, which is pretty in-character for him.

Eli, on the other hand, is able to ride that fine line between encouraging and understanding. He _never_ responds by telling me that the problem is my attitude, or that I should just change my outlook, but he still manages to help me find a solution. He's able to say, "Yeah, that sucks," and more importantly, "They shouldn't have done that to you." I've lost count of how many times Owen has refused to take my side, accidentally or not. If someone hurts my feelings or does something incredibly shitty, it's always, "They don't know what they're doing," or, "They meant something else, but it came out wrong." And I know- I KNOW- that my friends don't mean to hurt me. But they do. Sometimes, they just say the wrong thing, and it's an accident, yes, but a _harmful_ accident with _consequences_. Like, okay, using that cow thing as an example, I told Eli about what Zia had said, and he was like, "That was really rude of her. She should know better. Has she apologized yet?" That last sentence could have come out of Owen, but the subtext was _completely_ different. If it had been Owen, the phrase would have translated to, "I'll bet she's already apologized, and you're just looking for an excuse to be angry," but with Eli, it would be more like, "If she hasn't already apologized, she damn well better!" And yes, she _had_ apologized, and I told him so. He followed up with, "Did she say sorry, or did she actually _apologize_?" and I said, "She didn't mean it sincerely. She was just brushing me off," and Eli said, "Yeah, I figured. I know being brusque and dismissive is her whole 'thing', but she shouldn't do that to a friend," and I said, "She likes to make fun of me as a joke, and I _get_ that. We insult each other sometimes, and we know it's not real. It can be a good thing, even. It brings us closer together. But lately, I haven't been particularly happy about discovering new reasons to hate myself." And then he gave me this sad look, like he understood exactly what I was talking about, and said, "I don't know Zia very well, but it sounds like she's usually a good friend to you," and I said, "She is," and he said, "She also seems more comfortable with being a dinosaur- or whatever she is- than most of us, so it's possible that she doesn't understand why her comments have started to hurt you all of a sudden. On the other hand, maybe she's trying to hold onto the way things were in an attempt to make you feel better. Either way, she's not doing you any favours. I'm sorry this happened. I hope you two can work this out." Well, long story short, I settled things with Zia, and Eli was happy to hear about it when I told him. He said that we had a good thing going, and that Zia and Franklin and I were like a really unlikely trio that somehow made a lot of sense, which is exactly how _I_ feel. I hadn't been able to put it into words, but . . . Anyway, I left to spend some time with them, and Eli waved goodbye like he was genuinely glad to see that we were getting along again. He was happy because _I_ was happy, and that's why he did everything he could to support me. And yes, I know that if you weren't there, you could read this whole thing as a selfish act, taking into account his recent confession, but here's the thing: he wasn't _flirting_ with me. He was as good as his word, when it came to the whole "not making things weird" deal. How could someone with such a strict adherence to decency ever . . . _do what he did_?

Remembering what Eli Mills had done to me and my friends in the past always felt like a bucket of cold water being dumped over my head. There was a _massive_ disconnect between those memories and the person I was seeing now. I asked myself which of the two Eli's was the _real_ Eli, and the answer was . . . _both_. His life had taken a dark turn at some point, and he had become a monster for a stretch of time. He was by no means an innocent soul caught up in some tangle of corruption- he was very much _responsible_ for what he did- but since then, he'd turned over a new leaf, and though his mistakes would follow him like a shadow, he was genuinely trying to be the best man he could be. And sometimes, he didn't _have_ to try. Unlike Owen, who struggled to so much as admit that I could _ever_ be capable of surpassing him in any regard, Eli was _overjoyed_ to witness my successes, because . . . Well, I don't really know why. Because he _liked_ me, I suppose. But shouldn't that also be true for Owen?

I guess the thing that truly separated the two men was the fact that Owen had encased himself in a sturdy layer of pride, and was afraid of what might happen if he showed any sign of vulnerability. Eli, on the other hand, knew that I had no reason to respect him, considering everything he'd done, so he didn't even _try_ to act like he was above me. Instead, he just sort of . . . did the right thing whenever he could. When I needed someone to vent to, he'd be there. And he wouldn't try to "fix" me while I poured my heart out, but I think he ended up doing exactly that, just by being attentive. Even though a lot of my rants didn't have any discernible point of closure, simply recounting what I was pissed off about somehow made me feel better. I guess being heard had the effect of empowering me, as opposed to having to deal with someone who took my words as permission to attempt a solution, just to prove how superior he was. With Eli, I could finally _own_ my emotions without facing judgment. It was _amazing_.

I trotted up to him one morning, and as always, when he saw me coming, his face lit up like a Christmas Tree. Why didn't _Owen_ ever do that? It was so wonderful to know that another person was happy to see me. It made me feel _wanted_.

Anyway, I greeted him, and he smiled in that weird closed-mouth-but-still-toothy dinosaur way, and I sat down to have breakfast with him. He seemed humbled by this gesture, as though my continued presence had improved his morning significantly. I suppose that that was fairly likely, since I remained his only close friend after the incident at the manor.

"How's the octane, this morning?" I chirped.

"Definitely not premium, but I'll live."

I placed my chin on my paws.

"Moonwatcher's not putting in the money, huh?"

He shook his head.

"Naw, but it's no big deal. It all tastes like shit anyway."

"Maybe you could look into diesel."

"I know you're joking, but Moonwatcher actually tried that already. It did _not_ end well."

I leaned forward with interest.

"How so?"

He gave a pained smile.

"The stuff was like meth, only it wasn't addictive, and it mostly made me scream at my shadow for two hours. Guy had it coming, though. How about you? Still on a diet of fish heads?"

I snuffed.

"I convinced Moonwatcher to stop feeding me those. I'm not sure why she decided to give me that crap in the first place."

"Sometimes, I wonder if she knows what she's doing."

"Not me."

He raised his eyebrows.

"No?"

"I _know_ she doesn't."

Eli chuckled.

"God, what are we gonna do with our fate in her hands?"

"Probably not try to escape on a hovercraft."

"Yeah, probably not."

"And subsequently crash it."

"Mm-mm."

"And almost get ourselves ki-"

"Yeah, I get the idea," he said, rolling his eyes.

I smiled.

"You ever think of leaving?"

He shrugged.

"Not anymore. I think things are finally turning around . . . Plus Moonwatcher put a tracking device in my tire."

"Ah."

"It's not as bad as Henry's. He got it right in the foot."

"Do you not feel anything in your tires, then?"

"It's a dull sensation, like the skin on your heels, I suppose. But I do _feel_ things. I got a nail in my treads the other day. Hurt like hell."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I was swerving to avoid hitting a deer. It was worth a little hole in my tire."

"Mmm. Let me know if you need help getting rid of any roadkill."

He quirked a brow.

"Not getting enough red meat?"

"Maisie hasn't been feeding me rats, lately."

Eli's smile faded. He bit his lip and looked down at his tires.

"Am I . . . Am I causing problems?"

"No, Eli, you're not causing problems."

He twisted his mouth.

"But she's upset because I'm around all the time."

"Well, _maybe_ , but-"

"Claire, if it's too much, I don't have to _be_ here. I don't want to get in the way of-"

"You're not getting in the way, Eli."

He frowned.

"Come on, Claire. I know how she feels about me. And she has every right to. It's not like I've forgotten what happened . . . what I _did_."

I exhaled, letting my paw slide from the table to my lap.

"She's not happy that I'm spending time with you, but she'll get used to it. She doesn't have to _like_ it, as long as she accepts that it's going to happen."

"It doesn't _have_ to, though: that's my point. Maisie needs you more than _I_ do."

I tapped my curved claws irritably.

"Eli, this isn't a big deal. She can learn to-"

"Claire, I killed her grandfather."

Although he said this relatively calmly, I could see a delicate shudder rippling across his scales. He still had trouble grasping the implications of what he had done, but he was even more uncomfortable letting it stay the elephant in the room. Best to get it out in the open, instead of leaving it un-said.

I took a deep breath.

"I don't think she'll ever forgive you, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends."

He looked away.

"Maisie is a big part of your life now. I don't want to interfere with that."

I scoffed.

"Wish you'd said _that_ instead of challenging Owen to a race way back when."

I winced at his pained expression.

"I'm sorry . . ."

"Jesus Christ, Claire! Don't apologize! You're just stating what happened, and yes, it was a _very_ bad plan."

"Well, it hurt _you_ more than it hurt _us_."

"If you mean _physically_ , I can't disagree. My arm still doesn't move right. Hope it's not permanent."

"Maybe you should see a doctor."

"Or a mechanic. But that'd cost money, and I'm burning through my savings as is."

I hummed.

"Did Moonwatcher find a way to get your financial stuff from the other world?"

He nodded.

"She's mostly in control of it, of course. I wouldn't complain if it was _just_ me- I've made some bad decisions, and I don't deserve as much as I'm getting- but I have a bad feeling that she's doing the same thing to you and the others, which isn't right."

"Are you still going to try to overthrow her?"

"No, I'm not. I've accepted that she's in charge here, and even if it's not ideal- downright _tyrannical_ , actually- it's just the way things are. No use rocking the boat when I've sailed so far."

I nodded.

"It sucks, though. I know she's taking advantage of us, but we have no choice in the matter. Life wasn't always perfect back home, but at least we weren't constantly being watched by some sinister figure selling our lives as popular media."

"That we know of."

I laughed.

"Yes, that we know of."

My heart sunk when I noticed Moonwatcher standing outside the café. If I had learned anything during my time in this world, it was that her arrival often marked the beginning of a significant downturn in my mood. As she entered the coffee shop, Eli lowered his voice.

"Claire, I'm serious. If me being here is causing any trouble at all-"

"It's not. Don't worry, Eli. We're fine."

He gave me a doubtful look, but faked a smile when Moonwatcher skipped up to us. She grinned.

"Hey, you two! Are you ready for another adventure?"

I lowered my head.

"No . . ."

"Good! Because we're way over-budget, and we have to do a bottle episode to cut corners!"

"A _what_?" we asked at the same time.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Moonwatcher led us to a room full of junk.

"I need you to sort through this stuff so we can ship it to the new museum we're building in New World City."

"New World City?" I echoed.

"We bought New York," she said with a shrug.

And yet she couldn't afford a cure for my condition. Yikes.

Eli poked a pile of toys with his wheel. Several plastic dinosaurs clattered to the floor, along with a rope.

"So . . . we're just doing chores for you, is that it?"

"Eeyup!" she guffawed, "You three will have plenty to talk about in the meantime, I'm sure."

"Us _three_?"

She reached behind the doorframe and led Maisie into the room. My heart nearly stopped. Moonwatcher gave a cheerful wave.

"Have fun! See you in three hours."

As she slammed the door shut, I bolted forward.

"Wait, no, no, no!"

She locked us in. I scratched at the metal, but it was no use. She had made up her mind to put us through hell, and there was no getting around it. I sighed and turned to Maisie, who was staring at Eli with terror.

"Sweetheart, you don't have to do anything. You can just sit in the corner and play with these toys, okay?"

I handed her a small triceratops. She glared at me, tossed it to the side, and went to sit in the corner of the room. Eli glanced at me nervously. I met his gaze briefly, then hopped over to her, claws clicking on the concrete. I put my hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off.

"Maisie, I know this is hard for you, but-"

"I don't want to talk to you."

I bit my lower beak.

"I . . . I know, but-"

"Go away."

I stepped backwards hesitantly.

"Okay, baby, okay. I'll give you some time to think things through. But I want you to know that I love you more than anything in the world, and-"

"If that was true, you'd send him away."

I tried not to notice the smell of fear and despair that wafted off Eli, but he was shaking now, and I feared another emotional breakdown was coming. From any one of us, I mean. I turned away from him and started digging through a pile of trinkets.

"Let's just get this over with."

***TSJWFKFEW***

An hour into our chores, Maisie found some miscellaneous knickknacks to play with. Despite this, she wasn't happy in the slightest. None of us had said a word since we started, but that didn't mean nothing was happening. When you can smell the emotions coming off of people, you realize just how much is going on in their heads. Eli switched between several states of worry, giving off that bitter sadness-smell, and Maisie was absolutely furious. Even as she rummaged through the junk, I could feel her hateful stare burning holes through me. Of all the people who have stopped trusting me over the years, this one instance hit me the hardest. I was supposed to _take care_ of Maisie. Unlike Karen or Zara or even _Owen_ , Maisie wasn't an adult, and thus had a more significant and indispensable dependence on me. She needed me to do more than just help her along. She required my continual presence, my unceasing loyalty. And I had gone off to socialize with the person who killed her grandfather-slash-actual-father-slash-creator. I may be an adult who's perfectly capable of handling herself around former villains, but whether I like it or not, my actions have an effect on my sweet, innocent daughter who wants to know exactly why the fuck I'm betraying her like this. Not in those words _exactly_ , I hope. There was no way I could concisely explain the situation, nor prove to her that Eli was ready to change. I don't think she'd _ever_ believe him, and even if she did, forgiveness was still off the table. And, you know, fair enough. He _did_ make her life significantly worse. On the other hand, whenever she glared at him, he'd turn away and get that sad puppy dog look on his face, then try to hide it when he realized that I was watching him.

God, that face breaks me.

As I righted a large, purple brachiosaurus head next to a cardboard palm tree costume, I noticed that Eli had found a particularly interesting action figure. It was a reddish Rex: exactly the kind of thing Maisie would be interested in. He checked to make sure that no one was watching (I observed him from the corner of my eye), then dropped the toy and kicked it over to Maisie, pretending that his wheel had slipped as he ducked behind a pile of clothing. She lifted the dinosaur in both hands and looked it over. Eli smiled as she started playing with it, and I felt my heart glowing. What a sweet man.

Of course, I soon caught myself. Charmed though I may be by Eli's actions, he still hadn't made up for what he'd done. I had no doubt that he had shifted his alliance, but that didn't mean he was getting off scot-free. He still had a long way to go, and a few kind gestures didn't count as redemption.

"Claire?"

I perked up, glad that Maisie had decided to speak to me again. My joy turned to confusion when she held up a large, red button.

"It says 'DO NOT PRESS'. Do you think it's dangerous?"

I snorted.

"Five bucks says this is another attempt by Moonwatcher to send us on some high-speed adventure."

Suddenly, Moonwatcher burst into the room.

"It isn't! Put that down, Maisie. I forgot it was in here."

I rolled my eyes.

"We're not falling for your tricks, Moonwatcher. We already know that you have a fondness for button-related 'plot points', as you call them, and this is too coincidental to be an accident."

Moonwatcher held up her hands.

"I swear by The Star, I'm not fucking around. Put the button down, Maisie. I'm serious."

"What does it do?" she asked.

"It'll take you far away. Then we won't have a bottle episode, first of all, and we'll have to explain ourselves to- Look, just give me the button."

"Don't give her the button," I cooed, "Just press it so we can get this over with."

Maisie did as she was told, and suddenly, there was a bright flash of light. All four of us were teleported to a small room. Moonwatcher slapped the button out of Maisie's hands.

"You little twerp! You've fucked us over real bad, you know that? Thank god _she's_ not nearby."

"Who?" I asked.

The sound of a lock clicking caught our attention. Moonwatcher's eyes went wide.

"Everyone, stay close to me," she whispered, "We're getting out of here."

Eli, who was forced to crouched because of the low ceiling, dipped his head down uncomfortably. I stood beside him.

"Maisie, get close to m-"

She wasn't in the room.

"Maisie!"

Before Moonwatcher could hold me back, I darted down the hall, following Maisie's smell. It led me downstairs, towards the front door. I saw her waddling forward, holding something in her hand. I peeked over her shoulder and saw a glowing, white rock.

"Maisie, what's that?" I whispered.

She didn't have time to answer me, for the rock began to hum fiercely, and someone rounded the corner.

I am not used to seeing a human reflection in the mirror anymore. I'm even _less_ used to seeing my human form from the outside. But the woman who appeared in front of me could have been my mirror image, except she acted independently from me, and I was currently a dinosaur, so we didn't much look alike. I let out a feeble squeak, and she froze up in response. Moonwatcher came barreling down the hall, then screeched to a stop and covered her mouth.

"Oh my god, it's Bryce Dallas Howard! Rather, it's an entity that is legally distinct from Bryce Dallas Howard, as she has not given her consent to appear in this w- What are you doing?"

Maisie held out the rock, then pulled it back, repeating this action several times over. It hummed with energy when it was close to the woman.

"Wait, is that what I _think_ it is? . . ." Moonwatcher asked.

And then something really _weird_ happened. The woman flung herself in the other direction, became a blur of pastel fur, and crashed through the wall in the form of a giant bat. Moonwatcher blinked.

"Good news! We figured out why you have bat DNA, Claire, and we're also allowed to involve the entity that is legally distinct from Bryce Dallas Howard in the story, because she is now an original character: Bryce-Bat. Who would have thought that renowned actress, Bryce Dallas Howard, was pretending to be someone else the whole time? I guess it makes sense in hindsight."

After a pause, she batted her eyes.

"We should probably go after her."

We darted out of the house. Eli squeezed through the bat-shaped hole with a pained grunt. As we ran after the furry creature, Maisie pulled a small, golden whistle from her back pocket and blew hard. I gave her a questioning look as we ran, but soon found myself knocked off-balance by a massive canine that leapt over my head. The hyena-looking creature pounced, grabbing the bat by the wing and pulling her down from the sky. She hit the ground hard, and tears started pouring out of her eyes as she made a sound not dissimilar to a rubber duck.

"I've got you now, _bat_! No more running . . ."

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak!" cried Bryce Dallas Howard.

"You gave up your right to mercy when you robbed me of my depth perception."

The hound reached up and removed her left eye, which was made of glass. I realized that her fur was parted by thin scars, which seemed to be the exact same size as the bat's claws.

"Hyenadogs are known for holding grudges, and unfortunately for you, I didn't much like having my eye gouged out."

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak," said Bryce Dallas Howard.

"I don't _care_ if I look better with one eye!" the hyenadog snapped, "You _took_ something from me, and now it's time to return the favour . . ."

As she prepared to strike, Eli raised a claw to object.

"Um, excuse me? I'm very confused right now. Can someone explain what's going on?"

Moonwatcher sighed hoarsely.

"Stacy the Hyenadog has been searching for the last living Asterparan Bat because she was hired by the dragon from whom I was extracted to carry out a genocide to please a tiger who was also responsible for the massacre of the Stegoceratops under a different name and somehow then decided to become the director of Fallen Kingdom while the bat hid under the alias of Bryce Dallas Howard and was allied to the father of the dragon from whom I was extracted who at the time was posing as Colin Trevorrow in a mutual agreement and was also working for the director of Fallen Kingdom while he tried to destroy our world as a mystery narrator, meaning Bryce-Bat is either a double-agent or wildly incompetent."

Silence. Stacy looked down at the bat, who was still pinned under her foot.

"Well? Which is it?"

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak," said Bryce Dallas Howard.

"She says that she didn't know the director of Fallen Kingdom was secretly responsible for at least two genocides, but in hindsight it makes a lot of sense, since she was told by the dragon's father to report any Stegoceratops sightings, which she just assumed was a measure to keep the dragon's story contained, but was actually a command from the director of Fallen Kingdom intended to facilitate ethnic cleansing."

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak," added Bryce Dallas Howard.

"She says it was all very confusing and disorganized."

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak."

"They paid her in cacti."

After a long pause, Stacy grabbed the bat by the scruff of her neck.

"Well, bats won't exterminate themselves, so-"

Eli rolled forward.

"Wait! . . . Genocide is wrong! . . . Like, _very_ wrong? . . ."

Stacy snorted.

"So is _murder_ , but at least two of you have- YOW!"

The bat chomped down on her toe and fled, hobbling away on a mangled wing. Stacy growled and tore after her, but Maisie suddenly leapt forward and grabbed her leg.

"Wait! Don't hurt the bat! She didn't do anything wrong!"

She shrieked as the hound kicked her away. I ran over to cradle her. She wasn't hurt. Just upset.

"Thanks for your help, little girl, but I'm afraid I have no use for you now. Get in my way again, and you'll lose more than your trust in authority figures."

She bounded away, snarling fiercely. Maisie buried her face in my chest and started weeping.

"This is all my fault!"

"No it isn't, sweetheart."

"She's going to _kill_ her!"

Eli shook his head.

"The bat escaped once before. I'm sure she can handle herself."

"She'll be just fine," I added.

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak," agreed Bryce Dallas Howard.

We all jumped.

"What the hell?" Eli barked, "How did _you_ get back here?"

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak," said Bryce Dallas Howard.

"She says that she just made a loop around that house over there," Moonwatcher explained.

The bat withdrew her tongue from her nostril and licked her lips, staring vacantly at us. Eli groaned.

"So now we have an angry hound after us."

I shrugged.

"At least she doesn't have depth perception."

"Yeah, well, that didn't stop her from grabbing a bat out of the sky. We're not exactly at an advantage, here."

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak," said Bryce Dallas Howard.

"She says her own eyesight is better," Moonwatcher translated.

"Aren't bats supposed to be blind?" Eli asked.

Bryce Dallas Howard's ears folded backwards as she frowned. I winced.

"Eli, bats aren't _actually_ blind. They can see during the day, but they see better at night, when they echolocate to catch bugs or fruit or something."

She let out a high-pitched squeal to demonstrate. Eli tried to cover his ears, but found he couldn't reach.

"AH! I get it! You can stop now!"

She closed her mouth. Suddenly, her fangs seemed a lot less menacing. They poked through her lips like a vampire, but a really _cute_ vampire that was covered in rainbow fur. And _speaking of_ her fur, it was giving off the sweet stink of marzipan, which I've never liked. Beneath it, I could smell flowers and hairspray, with a hint of Hyenadog spit. The bat was marked by light orange cuts where Stacy had mauled her, and while she wasn't injured badly, the lacerations looked like they might sting.

(I could finish the job. She wouldn't suspect a thing.)

Christ! Of all the times for this to flare up!

(She'd taste like candy . . .)

The bat's ears gave a subtle twitch, and she turned to me with an accusatory look. Her ears flattened, and she backed away slowly. I shook my head and turned away.

"Moonwatcher, I'm getting sick. She smells like food, and it's not helping with my impulses. I think I need some time alone."

Eli laughed.

"Is she driving you 'Moonbatty'?"

He winced as he received a cold stare from the bat.

"Sorry. I meant no offense."

"None taken," Moonwatcher squawked obliviously, "But this is a bad time to leave, Claire. We need to get not-actually-Bryce-Dallas-Howard-or-we-could-get-sued back home. We can't just wait around in the middle of the road."

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak!"

"She says that she doesn't want to lead Stacy to her house. It'll put her family in danger," Moonwatcher sighed with frustration.

"Then why don't we talk to Captain Stacy?" Eli suggested.

Bryce Dallas Howard narrowed her eyes.

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak."

"She says that she doesn't like the 'racist minivan'."

Eli gulped.

"I'm sorry, Miss . . . Bat, but I didn't mean to-"

She leaned forward angrily.

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak."

"She says that you may _smell_ like Rafe Spall, but there is a terrible darkness in your heart, and also, you have below-average fuel economy."

Eli bit his lip.

"Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

She growled.

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak."

"Jesus Christ, lady!" Moonwatcher laughed, "She told you to _perish_ , Eli!"

He rolled backwards, giving the bat a defeated look.

"Is there anything . . . _else_?"

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak."

"She says, 'Find me a cactus'."

"Why?"

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak."

"She's hungry."

"Then I guess I'm getting you a cactus. Here I go . . ."

He met my gaze as he left, and seemed to be expecting a harsh word from myself as well. I guess he saw some of me in the bat, and I don't blame him. We almost smelled the same, and we would have _looked_ the same if _I_ wasn't a dinosaur . . . and if _she_ wasn't a bat, I suppose. Instead of discouraging him, I gave a cheerful thumbs-up, and the corners of his mouth twitched upwards slightly. It was a start, anyway.

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak."

The bat was talking to me now.

"What'd she say?" I asked Moonwatcher.

"She asked if you can kill Captain Stacy."

My jaw dropped.

"WHAT?!"

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak."

"She says that she figured you'd wimp out, but it was worth a shot. She can't do it herself, because bats don't kill."

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak."

"She says that she might just be thinking of Batman."

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak?"

"I don't know, Ms. Howard. I think it depends on the comic you're reading."

Maisie, meanwhile, had inched closer and closer to the furry creature without being noticed. She stared at the rat-like tail that dragged behind her, looking rather confused. The pinkish limb gave a twitch, and brushed up against her leg. The bat wheeled around, fur standing on end. Maisie covered her eyes.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to get you in trouble!"

The bat blinked once, then sniffed her aggressively. Apparently, she decided that Maisie meant her no harm, because she promptly scooped her up and tucked her beneath her body. I moved forward to intervene, but the big furball had decided that Maisie belonged to _her_ \- at least temporarily- and sat on her like a hen. Maisie peeked out from her belly-fur.

"Claire? . . ."

"I think she just wants to protect you, sweetheart."

"But she's not my _mother_!"

"Yeah, well, maybe you'd like _her_ better."

(Fuck, what am I _doing_? I can't make snippy comments at a _child_. I'm supposed to be the _adult_ here, not some jealous crank!)

I could tell that I had hurt Maisie, however subtly. It was just another reason for her not to trust me, I suppose. Still, I tiptoed up to the bat and extended my paw. Maisie took it, and I pulled her out, much to the animal's displeasure.

"I'm sorry, but Maisie is coming home with me."

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak!"

I turned to Moonwatcher.

"What did she say?"

"Are you _sure_ you want to know? . . ."

"Yes."

"She said that you're not the child's mother."

I frowned.

"You're wrong. Maisie is my daughter, and-"

"No, I'm not."

Those words were like a dagger in my heart. My grip loosened on Maisie, and she slipped out of my arms.

"I don't belong to _anyone_. I don't _have_ a mother."

I thought my relationship with Maisie had reached a low point when she was depressed and weird and locked away in her room, but whatever emotional damage she had endured back then was a million times easier to accept than the fact that she hated me now. Never in a million years would I have expected to see that level of utter _revulsion_ in her eyes. In a way, I was glad that she at least wasn't wallowing in despair anymore, even if she had replaced that emotion with something worse. She had accepted the fact that I was nothing more than a monster, and she could finally let go of the hope that I'd be cured, which meant that _I_ could do the same.

I started walking away. Moonwatcher cut me off.

"Where are you _going_?"

"Away."

"Right now? _Seriously?_ "

"Yes. I need to be alone."

(Even though I already _am_.)

"Well, you'd better come back once we get this all sorted out."

"I will."

"Hurry back. Eli will have found a cactus by now, and once the bat is happy, we can vamoose."

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak!"

Moonwatcher folded her hands diplomatically.

"I'm sure she won't find you again. Your evasive manoeuvre seems to have fooled her."

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak . . ."

I didn't hear the rest of the conversation. Once I found a quiet place between two houses, I lay on my side and wept.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Maisie found me a few minutes later. I tried to hastily wipe my eyes and steady my breathing, but it was too late to conceal my breakdown. Knowing that she was going to see me cry made me feel even worse, and I felt the tears starting all over again. I have a very clear memory of the first time I saw my _own_ mother cry, and I had hoped to spare Maisie from that confusion and worry. But I suppose I wasn't _really_ her mother, and she was bound to see me break sooner or later. I turned away from her with a gentle moo, but she knelt down beside me and hugged my neck. I rested my chin on her back, letting the tears flow freely. After a few seconds of sobbing, I managed to pull myself together.

"I'm sorry."

Maisie stroked my neck.

"I know. I'm sorry, too."

I shook my head.

"You don't have to be sorry, Maisie. I've failed you. I was supposed to be a good mother, and even though I became a dinosaur, I was given a second chance, but I blew it like the first time. I'm sorry that I couldn't do it right. You deserve better than this."

I stood.

"Let's get you home to Owen, okay? We've been away long enough. Is Eli back with the cactus?"

Maisie nodded.

"Okay. Let's go, then."

She laced her fingers through mine as we walked, and my heart crumbled. There was no going back now, though. What I had done to her was unforgivable. It was bad enough that I had tried to _hurt_ her back when my dinosaur side was out of control, but now I had screwed up even _more_ through sheer carelessness. It was a miracle that I'd lasted this long, even.

I was momentarily distracted from my woes by the sight of our batty friend eating a saguaro. She had a funny way of going about it, let me tell you! She pressed her snout against the body, using her nose as a pincushion, and shot out the needles like she was sneezing. Then, she chewed the de-quilled insides with a fuzzy bat-smile. I approached her with curiosity. Eli saw me coming and shrugged.

"I found it growing nearby. There were others along the way, but I didn't want to steal from someone's back porch."

I nodded, but said nothing. I think he sensed that I was avoiding interaction, and I had a feeling he knew perfectly well why that was. He accepted it, however, and turned away awkwardly.

"Can we go yet?" I asked Moonwatcher.

"Not until the bat's happy. We don't want her to press charges."

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak," said Bryce Dallas Howard through a mouthful of cactus chunks.

Moonwatcher filed down her nails casually.

"So, does that mean you're willing to overlook this little kerfuffle?"

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak!"

The bat turned to Eli, then out of nowhere, sneezed aggressively. Eli's jaw dropped as he found himself covered in shimmering snot.

"You're clean, Eli," Moonwatcher announced.

"I'm covered in _bat boogers_!"

"No, I mean, she cured your AIDS. That's what bat snot does."

When he realized that she wasn't joking, Eli shifted uncertainly.

"After so many years of pain and suffering, all it took was a sneeze?"

"Yep."

He lowered his head.

"I'm glad I won't have to worry about it anymore, but the stigma will never go away. I won't be able to forget about the people who turned their backs on me, or how it affected my outlook on life. I guess I'm glad that I found out who my _real_ friends are, though in a way-"

"Just say 'thank you', you dingle!" Moonwatcher groaned.

Eli nodded.

"Thank you, Bat."

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak," said Bryce Dallas Howard.

Eli nodded.

"I'm sorry for hurting you. I shouldn't have made that joke."

"Squeal squeak squeak squeak squeak."

"She says that she forgives you, and that you're a lot nicer than she expected, considering how you were in the movie."

Maisie stamped her foot, making us all jump.

"Eli Mills is _not_ a nice person! He's a killer and a complete _monster_!"

Suddenly, I found myself in an awkward situation. Should I tell Maisie to tone it down and risk losing her trust again, or force Eli to endure her rage? She was only telling the truth, and Eli _knew_ that. I had no doubt that he'd sit there and take it. More often than not, it was his preferred solution. Getting angry was a no-go, and getting upset would seem like an attempt to manipulate whoever was bringing up their grievances. But the dead look he got in his eyes when this happened was concerning. It was as though his past was slowly sucking the life out of him, killing all hope for a happy future. Luckily for me, he actually _responded_ , for once.

"I'm sorry, Maisie."

She growled and hurled a slice of cactus at his wheel.

"That's not _good enough_! How can you apologize and expect _that_ to be enough?"

"I _don't_ ," he insisted, "Nothing I do can change the past, Maisie. All I can offer is the promise that I'll _never_ hurt anyone again."

"Liar!"

"I'm telling the truth."

"You're lying, just like you lied to grandpa!"

"I'm not. Please, Maisie-"

"You told him that you were going to save the dinosaurs, but instead you locked them up in cages!"

"Well, Maisie, if it's any consolation, that didn't end too well for _me_ , either."

"You were going to let them die! If I hadn't let them out, they would have suffocated!"

My blood turned to ice. Maisie had just let slip a sinister scrap of information at the worst possible time. This bombshell was an eventuality, but I had hoped that we could break it to Eli gently. I didn't know how he'd _take_ the news, after all. I hate to admit it, but I expected anger. Instead, he went pale, stumbling backwards before falling onto his rump and letting his wheels splay out in front of him.

"You . . . you let out the dinosaurs."

"And I don't regret it, no matter what anybody says!" Maisie snapped.

Eli gulped, rubbing his arm with a shaky paw.

"You let them out of the garage. It was _you_?"

"Yes!"

Eli's jaw seemed to be locked in place. He looked as though he might faint. Maisie cocked her head, still frowning.

"What's the matter with him?" she asked me.

Before I could answer, Moonwatcher skipped in front of me.

"Well, Maisie, when you set the dinosaurs free, they-"

In the blink of an eye, Eli was on his wheels again. He reached out and grabbed Moonwatcher by the collar.

"STOP! You are NOT putting that responsibility on a CHILD!"

She swatted him away.

"She'll find out sooner or later . . ."

Eli growled in warning.

"If you breathe a word, I swear to god, I'll-"

He realized that making threats was a bad look. He cleared his throat and backed off.

"I'll be really upset. Please, don't spring this on her right now. She's been through so much already."

Maisie glared at him.

"More lies?"

Eli's face contorted into the sad puppy frown. His eyes darted back and forth as he struggled to find the words to explain the situation to Maisie without revealing too much. Eventually, he gave up, taking the fall in the least graceful manner he possibly _could_ have.

"Yes, Maisie, I'm lying to you. You caught me. I lied to you again, and now it's time to go home."

"Are you going to speak to my mother again?"

He looked at me with sad, sad eyes.

"No, I'm not."

"Good."

She turned to me, and was thrown off by my expression. I think she realized that I was discouraged by her bitterness, but I still reached out and gave her a hug. Moonwatcher rolled her eyes.

"You guys have issues."

Eli snarled, suddenly furious.

"Shut up, Moonwatcher! Nobody likes you!"

"They're not _supposed_ to like me."

"What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean? God, if it's not _one_ thing, it's _another_! I can't believe we got stuck with some _lousy author_ who can't write for shit and laughs at her own jokes!"

Moonwatcher giggled. After a pause, she shrugged.

"Sorry, you wouldn't get it. It's kind of meta."

Eli tossed his head.

"You're an incompetent phoney with the maturity of a child, not even! You're more like a shit-flinging monkey! And I know that because nobody calls themselves 'Moonwatcher' unless they're a filthy ape! You're just someone's _pet!_ "

Moonwatcher hummed.

"Accurate, but may I remind you that my creator is gone, hopef- _possibly_ forever."

"If she's anything like you, I'm _glad_!"

Eli realized how aggressive his tone was and kicked the ground with frustration.

"I'm sorry! I just- Argh!"

He clenched his teeth and took a few heavy breaths.

"I'm fine. I'm calm. Just get us out of here, please."

Moonwatcher sighed.

"No, you're right, Eli. I'm not a _real_ author. I don't even know how to pronounce 'sake'."

"You literally just did."

"IN A WRITTEN MEDIUM, IT'S LEFT AMBIGUOUS, AND THAT'S THE JOKE! GOD!"

I frowned.

"Aren't we in a television show?"

Moonwatcher screamed, nearly tearing out her hair.

"I DON'T KNOW! NONE OF THIS MAKES ANY SENSE! WE'RE IN A BURRITO OF MEDIUMS, AND NOW BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD IS A FUCKING RODENT!"

The bat, who had been licking between her legs, looked up and glared at her.

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak!"

Moonwatcher blinked.

"Marsupial, then?"

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak."

"Fine, just . . . flying mammal. Bryce Dallas Howard is a flying mammal. Anything else?"

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak."

"She says, 'My butthole tastes like Skittles'. Great. Just great."

Moonwatcher ran her fingers through her hair.

"Well, I guess we'd better be going, then."

The bat flapped her wings in panic.

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak!"

"Relax, Stacy will _never_ find you!"

At that very moment, a series of barks echoed through the neighborhood. We all darted behind a nearby house. I peeked around the corner to see where our attackers were lurking. Captain Stacy had brought along two Hyenadog goons to finish the job. One was a yellowish beast with thick hair. The other was a small pup, probably her daughter.

"Doggo, Booboo, flush them out! They can't hide forever!"

The hounds spread out, sniffing the ground with concentration. I backed away hastily, but bumped into Eli, whose alarm began to sound. The siren shrieked over and over again, completely out of control. We tried to shut it off, but even Eli himself didn't know where it was coming from. Finally, I poked his nose. He beeped twice, then fell silent.

"I think I know where they're hiding . . ." Stacy growled.

Eli closed his eyes. Compromising the group's safety was the final straw, and now there was nothing to do but die knowing that he had squashed any chance of an escape. He lowered his head to speak to us.

"Go back to the bat's house. I'll hold them off while you find the magic button."

"Eli, no!"

He frowned.

"Please, Claire, save yourself. It's the only way."

"I hear whispers!" Stacy cooed.

Eli snapped to attention.

"Oh, it's just me, Mr . . . Camberwell?" he said, adopting a British accent, "No bats here."

He turned back to us.

"Run! Now!"

"That accent is _very_ unconvincing, car-boy!" Stacy laughed, "But how about this: I'll give you a thirty second head start. One . . . Two . . . Th-"

Eli, meanwhile, had taken my paw. He gave it a squeeze before zipping out to fight the horrid hounds. In the confusion that followed, I escaped with my crew, but over my shoulder, I could see Eli smashing into the dogs with a fierceness I had never seen before. The first two got knocked out pretty quickly, but Stacy was not prepared to go down easily. She noticed us leaving and made a dash for Maisie, who was lagging behind. Just as her paw was about to grab my poor daughter, Eli lunged forward and clamped his jaws around her wrist. She yowled in pain and smacked Eli aside, crumpling his hood. Steam poured out of his snout, and he fell forward, lying motionless in the middle of the road. I scooped up Maisie in my arms and ran towards the bat-woman's house, hoping that the big, red button would be our salvation. No such luck. Stacy leapt over our heads and cut us off, and when we turned, her thugs had encircled us as well. I held Maisie protectively. If they wanted her, they'd have to pry her from my cold, dead hands. I didn't doubt that they _would_.

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak."

Stacy laughed.

"You should have thought of that before they got involved. We can't trust anyone who helps a _bat_. They'll be the first to die, and _you're_ going to watch. You can think about what you've done in a remote prison while we wait for you to starve. How long can you go without food? Long enough to make my years of hunting worth the wait, I'm sure . . ."

She prowled towards me.

"You first."

I snapped at her paw, but she took the opportunity to hold my jaws shut.

"Oh, I didn't mean _you_ . . ."

As I struggled to break free, the smallest dog dove in and grabbed Maisie. I screamed and tried to thrash around, but found myself pinned down by two massive paws. I watched helplessly as Maisie was dragged towards the captain.

"MAISIE!"

"MOM!"

Right then, I realized that we were done for. I understood that I was about to watch my own daughter being torn to shreds right in front of my eyes, and that I'd go in much the same way. For once, the thought of violence wasn't appealing to my dinosaur-brain. In fact, that part of me was completely muted. All I felt was an intense wave of horror and nausea, and a bleak helplessness that shook me to the core.

I barely noticed a flicker of yellow out of the corner of my eye.

It came again, closer this time, and I realized that we were not alone.

It ignited a third time, and I caught a glimpse of what was being concealed from view. I thought I was imagining things, but-

"WREEWREEWREE!"

With a shrieking whinny, a yellow dragon appeared from out of nowhere. It clamped its beak around Stacy's arm and bit down hard. Her paw fell away neatly. Maisie took the opportunity to pry herself free from her claws, and we met in a fierce hug. I held her against my shoulder as she sobbed, barely noticing that the fight was coming to an end. The Hyenadog and her cronies yipped in fear as they scrambled away. The dragon watched them go, then turned to us.

"I think we need to have a talk, Moonwatcher."

I expected to see fear in her eyes, what with a giant monster giving her an ice-cold stare and all, but instead, she just scowled at the creature with loathing.

"This isn't all on me, you know. I presume you heard about Cecelia?"

The dragon's ears folded backwards slightly.

"Yes, I have. But there's _more_ bad news. The world these characters left behind is falling into ruin. Whatever you've been doing to fix it, it's not working. I came back so that I could help you. I don't know how long I'll stay, but . . . I can't let your mess unfurl when it's _my_ fault that any of this happened in the first place. I dipped my paws into someone else's story, and now I'm going to pay for it."

"I see," Moonwatcher hissed, "Well, you can try to undo this mess, but I doubt you'll have any luck. You're not exactly known for cleaning up after yourself . . ."

"I plan to remedy that."

The dragon turned to the bat, who had shrunken into a small puff of trembling fur.

"Hi. It's nice to meet you, finally. I loved you in Jurassic World, obviously, and also Pete's Dragon, Spider-Man 3- I mean, I didn't like the movie as a whole, but you were one of the best parts of it . . . also, I'm sorry for partaking in the mass slaughter of your people."

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak."

"I was building up to it. But I understand where you're coming from, and I'm sorry it took me this long to say it. You're one of many people I must apologize to, if I can ever bring my wretched self to confront the things I've done."

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak."

"Maybe. I'll try my best to be brave. I owe my subjects that much, at least. I've screwed over so many people, and the lessons I learn from these mistakes never seem to stick, but even if it's too late for me, I can still do some good, if I choose to. I promise, by the time the third Jurassic World movie is released, you won't have to worry about any of this."

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak," said the bat.

"Thank you. I think it's time to go home, if I can even _call_ it that. Now that Claire's gone, it doesn't quite feel the same. In any case, if there's anything else you want to say, now's the time to do it."

The bat rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak."

The dragon's eyes went wide.

"Like Skittles? Really?"

Moonwatcher cleared her throat.

"Let's go, gang! With any luck, Elkay's methods will prove effective in restoring balance to our world, though I highly doubt-"

She yelped as the dragon brushed her aside.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just get a move on. Where's the car?"

I realized that she meant Eli. My heart dropped through my feet, and the feeling only got worse when I turned and saw that he hadn't moved. As the dragon approached his smoking figure, however, he lifted his head slightly, and a wave of relief washed over me. The dragon hooked the triangle on her tail through his lip and towed him down the road. As he rolled past me, he gave a weak smile.

"I dun thenk muh inthuranth wiw covah dith . . ."

I smiled, and I almost pressed my snout against his neck, but I realized that Maisie was still standing next to me, and I stepped back with guilt. As Eli moved past us, she looked down at the ground and rocked back and forth on her feet.

"I guess he really _has_ changed, if he was willing to save me like that."

I lifted my foot tenderly.

"Yeah . . ."

Maisie bit her lip.

"I still don't like him. Is that bad?"

I shook my head.

"No, Maisie, you're not wrong for disliking him. After what he did to you, I can't say that it comes as a surprise . . ."

She laced her fingers though mine and leaned against my shoulder.

"If _you_ like him, I think that's okay, too."

I took a deep breath and started walking down the road, hoping that no one was close enough to hear us.

"I can find other friends. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"But you'll be unhappy without him."

"That's not true. I have _you_ , and I have Owen and Zia and Franklin and Gunnar and Iris and-"

"But they're _different_. Mr. Mills _understands_ you."

I batted my eyes.

"Oh- Well, _Owen_ understands me, too."

She gave me a doubtful look.

". . . Okay, maybe he doesn't _fully_ grasp the- Look, that's not the point. I'm not going to keep seeing Eli if it's putting a strain on our relationship. That's all there is to it."

"You've been happier, ever since you two started spending time together."

"So?"

She poked my upper arm.

"I _like_ it when you're happy. It makes _me_ happy, too."

"But-"

"Please, Claire. I don't want you to be upset. If being around Mr. Mills is good for you, I don't want to stop you from being friends with him."

Somehow, I doubted that her mind could have changed so easily. Whether I liked it or not- and I _didn't_ \- I was going to have to choose between Eli and Maisie, and I already knew who would win. If things took a turn for the worse, I'd drop Eli entirely, but if Maisie was willing to let me keep him close for now, I could manage that just fine.

"Alright, sweetie, but tell me if it gets to be too much for you."

"I will."

As we approached the house with a large bat-shaped hole at the front, Bryce Dallas Howard sighed. Her big, batty ears drooped down, and she kicked her feet with indecision.

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak."

"You'll probably have to tell them, but I'm sure they'll understand," the dragon said softly.

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak," said Bryce Dallas Howard, gesturing to her body.

"Well, if you don't tell them _now_ , it's only gonna get worse."

She nodded sadly. With a defeated squeak, she marched forward.

"Wait!"

Maisie ran past her, holding the magic rock in her hands. As she approached the house, it glowed white, even though she was moving away from the bat herself.

"Are you _sure_ you're the only bat there is?"

Suddenly, her ears perked up. The dragon smiled.

"Looks like you're not the _only_ one keeping secrets . . ."

Suddenly, Bryce Dallas Howard's bat-face was filled with a joyous grin, and she tumbled into her home like a furry acrobat. A duet of squeaks echoed off nearby houses, which glowed orange under the setting sun. The dragon turned away with a nod.

"Something tells me she's going to be just fine. Now, let's get you home."

I followed the dragon, taking note of Moonwatcher's spiteful glare as I stepped through a newly-formed portal.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Later that night, we received a package from Bryce. It contained hair and feces, but she was basically made of candy, remember, so it was an appropriate gift. I plopped myself down on the couch in the hotel lobby and groaned with exhaustion.

"What and adventure," I muttered.

"Considering we got free cotton candy from Bryce Dallas Howard's neck, I'd say this worked out in our favour," Moonwatcher said with a shrug.

She leaned forward to take a bite out of the pink candy floss, but jumped suddenly.

"WAIT. Bats . . . candy . . . people pretending to be things they're not . . . racism that's never properly addressed . . . It's Halloween, and I forgot to do a spooky short!"

I twisted my beak.

"Does that really _matter_ right now?"

" _Of course_ it does! We need to get you a costume . . . Wait, I know! We have a Cinderella outfit in the storage room, and we also have a prince outfit, but-"

She clicked her tongue and sucked air through her teeth.

"-it would fit Eli, not Owen. Looks like your couple's costume is going to have to be with-"

She trailed off as the dragon gave her a nasty look.

"Actually, Moonwatcher, there's a costume that would fit Owen, since he featured prominently in the Cinderella short."

"Ah. It's a good thing you remembered that."

"Indeed. We wouldn't want to force unnecessary conflict now, would we?"

"No, we would not," Moonwatcher sighed with defeat.

Already, I liked this dragon more than her not-actually-human counterpart. That being said, I trusted neither, considering the newcomer had apparently been an accessory to genocide.

"Why don't you take Maisie Two out for trick or treating?" she suggested.

"Maisie Two? . . ."

"I want to keep things clear. We can call her 'Clone Maisie', if it's easier . . ."

And . . . I totally _despised_ this dragon. That was fast.

"Just 'Maisie' is fine," I said with a hint of venom, "And she doesn't have a costume."

"Yes, I do."

Maisie skipped around the corner wearing foam claws and cardboard horns. It took me a second to realize who she was dressed up as. I circled her, rubbing my chin pensively.

"It's a pretty good likeness, I'd say."

Owen stepped into the room.

"She's a lot cuter than you, truth be told."

Maisie smiled and hugged my chest.

"No one's cuter than my mom."

I smiled and started purring. She stroked my snout.

"Where's _your_ costume?"

"I'm going as a dinosaur, too."

"Oh, come on! That doesn't _count_."

I rolled my eyes and changed my arms into wings.

"Fine. I'm a bat."

Maisie giggled.

"Do you poop Skittles like Bryce?"

"Certainly not."

"Well, I love you anyway."

I patted her head.

"Good . . . but are you still interested in getting some candy?"

"Yeah!"

"Then follow me!"

I led her to the door, passing the dragon. Before leaving, I gave her a nod.

"Hey. Thanks for saving us. I wasn't expecting a Deus Ex Machina."

"You're using that phrase wrong. It was just a plot convenience . . . Anyway, don't worry about it. It's time to finish what I started."

She pulled a shotgun from behind her back.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to put down Disney. No loose ends. Only closure."

I blinked twice, then turned away. It really wasn't worth questioning.

***TSJWFKFEW***

By the time we returned to the hotel, Maisie had acquired a full bag of candy, though a great deal of it was wrappers. We had had a few treats along the way, which was fine by me, because some of the dinosaur-houses were giving away dead rats. I let Maisie have all the candy, of course. After what we had been through, it was only fair, though I did encourage her to brush her teeth thoroughly. After that, I tucked her in and kissed her forehead. As I shut the door behind me, I sighed wistfully. Was this what it felt like to be a mother? It sure _seemed_ like it, though we _certainly_ weren't a traditional family. Still, I had to wonder if it was possible to keep things just the way they were.

I unlocked the door to my own room and stepped inside. When I saw Owen lying on the bed, I prowled up to him and nudged his cheek. He pushed me away gently.

"Claire . . ."

I ran my paw down his shoulder.

"I missed you, today."

"Mhm."

I licked his ear.

"It's Halloween. I could use a treat . . ."

"So buy some candy. I'm tired."

Ouch.

Yeah, nevermind. Everything was still a mess.


	14. Ariel's Big Family Getaway

I didn't like being in heat.

Okay, that's a lie. I liked the _feeling_ of it very much. What I _didn't_ like was how it always ended in disappointment. Every month, I found myself getting incredibly horny, sometimes to the point of rolling around on the carpet making rather embarrassing noises, but these short periods never ended in intimacy. I hadn't had sex since I changed, in fact, because . . . Well, because _Owen,_ as usual. And I know that setting boundaries is important, but this was never an issue _before_ I was a dinosaur, so I couldn't help but marvel at how lucky I was, pre-transformation, to not be totally repulsive to my significant other, and how I didn't appreciate the fact that someone actually found me attractive back then. Now, approximately _zero_ people were looking to form a close bond with my scaly self.

(Other than Eli.)

Shhh! No! That doesn't count. I'm not _dating_ Eli.

(I _could_ be.)

Ha! What a weird thought! Strange how these random, totally-not-genuine ideas pop into your head without you wanting them to. Anyway, I couldn't _possibly_ date Eli, because I love _Owen_ , not _him_.

(Except-)

NO!

No, I am NOT going there again. Shut up, brain! Shut up!

(These are _my_ thoughts. I'm seriously thinking about-)

I'm horny, that's all. Being in heat does weird things to my mind.

(Okay, that's true.)

 _Of course_ it is. So it's only natural that I channel my bitterness into thoughts of infidelity. Totally not my fault.

(Exactly.)

This assertion didn't stop me from jumping ten feet off the ground when Owen entered the room, however.

"Owen! You're back!"

"Are you still in heat?"

". . . Yes? . . ."

"I'll take a walk, then."

Before he could leave, I blocked the door with my paw.

"Owen, please!"

"Claire, don't make me taze you."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I let my arm drop.

"Owen, I'm not trying to force you. I just want to know when we can-"

"When you're human. That's all there is to it."

"But-"

"Claire, I don't want you to end up with someone who was able to sleep with a dinosaur."

"Well, _I_ don't want to end up with someone who's not willing to sleep with _me_."

"That's not what's happening here. You know very well that it's your _body_ , and nothing else."

"Yes, _my_ body."

He threw up his arms with frustration.

"I can't deal with your new parts, Claire. Once we get rid of those claws and spikes-"

"What if I don't _want_ to?"

He gnashed his teeth.

". . . You're talking nonsense."

"No, I'm _not_ , Owen. We could be perfectly happy this way, if you were _open_ to it."

"Claire-"

I slid my tail over his shoulder and pulled him close.

"Come on. I know you're not telling me the truth. I can smell it on you. What's stopping us from-"

"Well, basic decency, _for one thing_!"

"I'm not an _animal_ , Owen . . ."

"You're not exactly _human_ , either!"

I whimpered.

"Please, Owen. Don't do this to me. It's only tearing us apart."

"Well, what if sleeping together rips the last seam?"

"It won't. I promise. Just trust m-"

"Why are you spending so much time with Eli?"

I chirped with fear.

"I . . . We're friends."

"Are you sure it's not because he's part dinosaur? You two have a lot in common."

"Owen! He doesn't think of me that way!"

He batted me away gently as I tried to hold him.

"I'm just saying, the man's a killer, and he's not exactly _normal_ , sexually. What if he's all _weird_ and stuff?"

I turned my head sharply.

"Because if someone's attracted to me, that means there must be something _wrong_ with them, right? . . ."

"You _know_ I didn't mean it like that. All I'm saying is that we've been through a lot, and none of us have come out of it . . . _right_. Do you think the _old_ Claire would have wanted me to sleep with a dinosaur, even if that dinosaur was _her_?"

"I-"

"Do you think she would have wanted to _be_ a dinosaur?"

(Old Claire didn't know _what_ she wanted.)

I covered my eyes and started weeping.

"No . . . No, she wouldn't . . ."

I plopped myself down on the bed, and Owen sat beside me, running his hands over my shoulders.

"It's okay, Claire. I don't blame you for anything you say or do while you're in this body. But I know that the _real_ Claire is somewhere inside, and she doesn't want to become a monster."

I hiccoughed and pulled my knees against my chest. Owen held me tightly.

"Claire, I promise that when you change back, things will be _exactly_ like they were before. We'll go live in the cabin with Maisie, and we'll be _healthy_ again."

I couldn't answer through my tears. Owen rested his hand on my knee and pressed his forehead against my shoulder.

"Hey. Once we're back to normal, we'll have sex. And it'll be the greatest, most _amazing_ sex we've ever had, because we won't have to worry about splitting up or fighting or the meat grinder thing or you biting my head off."

I sniffled.

"Owen, I would _never_ -"

"We can't take that chance. I trust you, Claire, but I also think you're not as strong as you _think_ you are. If your dinosaur instincts flare up in a moment of passion . . ."

I nodded.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

He kissed my cheek.

"Don't be. I know it's not your fault . . . Have you thought about going it alone?"

I wiggled my claws.

"Oh."

I rubbed my eyes, suddenly very tired.

"Owen, is there _anything_ about me that you find attractive?"

After a pause, he nodded.

"Your mind."

Great. Just like a man to only bring up what's inside once his partner is covered in scales. Literally, that's what it took. I must be _really_ unappealing.

( _Eli_ doesn't think so . . .)

SHUT UP, BRAIN!

***TSJWFKFEW***

"We are gathered here today to dedicate this giant sculpture of ice to the always nice Bryce, who following our slice of advice was quite concise in excusing our adventure set off by a magical device, and requested no price, though it might entice, and instead said that a cactus would suffice, a saguaro, to be precise, not edelweiss. She, not once, but twice, at the roll of a dice, ignored our wrongdoings, so we could live in paradise, despite our collective vice. To celebrate her sacrifice, we've decided to splice her magnificent figure with a material of the aforementioned frozen variety . . . Now let's finish the rice before we get mice! Unveiling ceremony to follow."

I'd like to say that Moonwatcher had a way with words, but that would be a lie. To be honest, I never "bought the hype", as Zia would say. And I wasn't the only one who felt that way. Eli was looking quite upset. I waddled over to him with a gentle smile.

"What's up?"

"Claire, there's no easy way to say this . . ."

I had never seen him so nervous.

"What?"

"I think . . . I think you should be extra careful about leaving your drinks unsupervised. I mean, I know you're _already_ pretty sensible about- Look, just don't turn your head for too long, okay?"

I narrowed my eyes.

"Eli, what's going on? Is someone trying to take advantage of me?"

His throat quivered like a turkey.

"I think so. Maybe. I don't know for sure."

"Who?"

"Moonwatcher."

Whoah. I wasn't expecting _that_.

"Eli, are you trying to tell me that-"

"What? Oh, no. Not like _that_. It's . . . it's _complicated_."

"Eli . . ."

"I know, I know, I'll tell you. It's just embarrassing, is all . . ."

"Eli, if I'm in danger-"

"-My feelings come second, I know, I know."

"So what's Moonwatcher been up to?"

He gulped.

"Well, she's been talking about a love potion-"

"OH."

"No, there's more. She's been dropping hints and leaving the bottle nearby. I think she wants me to . . . She's trying to coerce me into . . ."

"Yes?"

"She wants me to use it. On you."

I narrowed my eyes.

"Should I be concerned?"

"No! Of course not! You _know_ I'd never- Well, maybe you _don't_ know, but- I mean, I _hope_ you don't think I'd- God, but it's only my fault if you _don't_ believe m-"

"Eli."

"I swear that I'd never, _ever_ do it, Claire. Not in a million years."

"So what's the problem with Moonwatcher trying to tempt you?"

His paws were trembling.

"I'm afraid that if I keep withholding, she might try to frame me."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Drama? Point is, I don't trust her, and she has it out for me _specifically_. If she somehow manages to pin this on me, I don't want you to think that I'm-"

I put my paw on his arm as he burst into tears.

"You're my only friend, Claire! If I lost you, I- I don't even wanna _think_ about it! With my history, _no one_ would give me the benefit of the doubt, but if it was _you_ -"

He started choking.

"I know that I shouldn't care what you think about me more than anyone else, but I _do_. You're- You're-"

He whimpered.

"I don't even know what I'm saying . . ."

I patted his arm.

"I understand."

He sniffled.

"If I went back to square one, it'd be devastating, but with you . . . I dunno. It's different. I think _that's_ why Moonwatcher is doing this. She knows that my biggest weakness is-"

He noticed the look I was giving him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's fine. We're fine."

He let out a long breath.

"Thank you for understanding. It's hard enough worrying about messing up without having someone trying to sabotage me directly. I just hope it doesn't come to that. Please, promise me you'll be careful around her."

"I will. Thanks for warning me."

"It's the least I can do. I don't want you to get hurt, and especially not because of _me_."

"I won't."

He nodded, but as he turned away, he wheeled around suddenly.

"Claire, I'm not lying to you. You know that, right?"

I held his paw.

"Eli, I trust _your_ word over _hers_. Always. If something happens, I won't assume it's you. I know you better than that."

He gave me a hug. I patted his back. He sniffed, then let his eyebrows wipe away his tears.

"Claire, I'm _so_ sorry. For everything. I wish I was the kind of person you could trust, but-"

"You _are_. You _are_ , Eli, and I have faith in you."

He didn't seem comforted by this revelation.

"Why?"

"Because you've proven that you're willing to change."

" _Have_ I, though? . . ."

I slipped out of his arms.

"Eli, are you having second thoughts?"

"No. I promise, I'm not. But I got off so _easy_. After everything I did, I feel like I deserve a more _severe_ punishment, and now that we've moved past that . . . I dunno. It seems like it's too soon for me to be happy, and if I allow myself to feel _okay_ , it'd be wrong . . . Am I making any sense?"

"Yeah. I get it."

He scratched the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to burden you with all of this, but I'm kind of a mess. I haven't been getting much sleep lately, and-"

"It's okay, Eli. We're okay."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay. Just . . . be careful."

"I will. Promise."

He smiled sadly. I gave him an encouraging wave and wandered back into the crowd. When I caught sight of Elkay the dragon calling Moonwatcher to an isolated area, I snuck past my friends and leaned against the wall, eavesdropping on their conversation.

"-trying to convince him to slip her the potion for a few days now. I think he's picking up on my hints. Too bad the formula doesn't mix with gasoline, or I'd put a drop or two into his breakfast to ease things along."

So Eli was right! Moonwatcher was trying to get him to drug me. I hate that I wasn't surprised.

"I've also been slipping a bit of the old 'murder scenario' into his dreams, just to toy with his psyche a bit. It's almost broken him several times, since he mostly dreams about Claire."

Oh. He didn't tell me _that_.

"It _really_ messed him up. He cried and cried and cried . . . He has no idea that I'm putting those thoughts in his head, so he believes that his subconscious is telling him to-"

"I want you to stop," the dragon said with a menacing calmness.

". . . Pardon? . . ."

"Stop toying with his mind. With _all_ of their minds."

Moonwatcher scoffed.

"But we won't have a story if-"

"Forget the story. It's not worth forcing conflict, even if it results in brief flickers of ecstasy. It's not up to us to meddle in the lives of others, nor to make them prisoners of our stories."

"Since when?"

"Since I lost Claire. How many times has the narrative been the source of our misery? I know that that's the point, but we drove Karen to a state she shouldn't have been capable of achieving, through sheer carelessness. If I hadn't told Ellie to 'take care' of her pregnancy, perhaps none of this would have happened."

"Ah, yes. I remember the Loss memes. Not a golden age for _anyone_ , I'm afraid."

"Were you even _alive_ back then? No matter. If only I had tried to mend the tears in Jurassic World instead of attempting to make it my own, we could have taken a different path. I put my characters through so much misery that they couldn't possibly _begin_ to despise me to the level I deserved."

"But you also _helped_ them, right? I mean, if you hadn't-"

She snapped her beak.

"Stop it, Moonwatcher! I don't care if they believed that the end point was worth suffering for. I _deliberately_ put them in harm's way, and regardless of the outcome, that's not something to be proud of. What kind of a person _am_ I, to have done that? The kind of person who would create a monster like _you_ , I suppose. But you can adopt my change of heart in your own conscience. Stop tormenting these poor souls. It's not going to end well for _any_ of us."

I risked peeking around the corner. Moonwatcher's face was stoic, but something about her stare sent chills running down my spine.

"Very well. I will focus my efforts into cleanup, rather than storytelling. For the record, though, it was _you_ who made me this way."

"Yes, I know. But I've changed, and grown as a person. I can't help it if you embody a time in my life when I was still devoted to a harmful endeavour."

"Well, there's no denying that I'm good at what I do."

"Indeed."

Moonwatcher nodded.

"Right. If you'll excuse me, I'll be unveiling my magnum opus."

I whipped around as she marched away from the dragon, barely avoiding her gaze. I scampered into the crowd, searching for Eli. I found him talking to Gunnar by the snack bar. On any other day, I'd be glad that they were getting along, but I had urgent news, which kind of killed the mood. I dashed up to him, out of breath.

"Eli, I need to talk to you."

"Um, sure. Can I just finish th-"

"It's urgent. Gunnar will understand. You _understand_ , right, Gunnar?"

He blinked.

"Sure. I think I got the gist of what Eli was talking about, anyway. I didn't want to say anything, but your monologue was kind of dragging. You shouldn't apologize so much."

"Sorry, I- Aw, shit. You know what I mean."

Gunnar snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, well, I'll see you around."

He disappeared into the crowd. Eli bit his lip.

"That did _not_ go well. I thought I was doing okay, but-"

"Eli, we can talk about Gunnar later. This is important."

He lowered his head so that our eyes were at the same level.

"I'm listening."

"You were right about Moonwatcher. She's trying to trick you into using the potion."

"Shit. Why would she _do_ this?"

"Literally, just to make us miserable. You know those nightmares you've been having?"

I didn't expect this phrase to have an impact on Eli, but in hindsight, I should have seen it coming. His scales remained red, of course, but I could tell that if he were human, he'd be as pale as a sheet. He struggled to form words.

"Y-you know about-"

I put my paw on his shoulder, and he reacted like it was made of hot coals. I let it drop.

"Relax, Eli. I know that you wouldn't _do_ something like that."

"Then why am I-"

"She's been putting those dreams in your head. It's all Moonwatcher."

He batted his eyes.

"It . . . No, I can't let myself _believe_ that. _I'm_ responsible for whatever goes on in my head."

"Not this time."

". . . Well, even if that's true, better safe than sorry."

"Eli, only _you_ know what's in your heart."

"I'd like to believe that, but- Hey, wait a minute! I'll bet she's been drugging me with the love potion, too! She's probably been slipping it into my gasoline!"

"Um, she actually said-"

He laughed.

"This explains _everything_! Oh, god, what a relief! I was so afraid that I was genuinely _in love_ with you!"

I gulped.

"Eli . . ."

He sucked his lips in.

"Oh, sorry. That came out wrong. I'm not saying that I _wouldn't_ love you, just that it'd be weird if I _did_ love you after everything that happened between us. I know the heart wants what it wants, but wow, that would have been _really_ awkward for the both of us, huh?"

Should I let him keep digging this hole, or speak up and make things uncomfortable immediately?

And the answer is . . . Do the very worst thing and let him keep going.

"It's good to know that I can write off these feelings and not have to worry about them. I can't tell you how this kept me up at night- Well, anyway, everything's fine now. We don't have to worry about it anymore."

Oh, no. This was going to be hard to undo.

Hey, wait! Maybe Eli was _onto_ something, but what if it was the other way around? Maybe Moonwatcher was drugging _me_. That would explain all the random romantic thoughts I was having towards Eli. But when would she have had time to _poison_ me? Did she manage to slip the drug into meals I had in private? Was it making me attracted to both Owen _and_ Eli? How did this _work_ , exactly? Whatever the case may be, I was relieved to know that my feelings might not be real.

(Or maybe you're just a scumbag.)

Suddenly, Maisie ran up to me, and my guilt increased by a factor of five gazillion. She glanced briefly at Eli, but made no comment.

"Mummy, there's some pteranodons who want to meet you."

"Pteranodons?"

"Mhm. They're on vacation."

I nodded slowly.

"Okay . . . Did they say anything _else_?"

"Not really. I think they just want to meet you because you're famous."

I turned to Eli.

"I'm gonna go meet these pteranodons. We can talk later, though."

"Okay."

Now, I know what you're thinking: "Claire, did you really just leave an important conversation so that you could meet some starstruck fans?" The answer is NO. I left the conversation because I needed to win back Maisie's trust, and the quickest way to injure our rapport was by putting Eli's needs ahead of hers. It was a reckless decision, sure, but I intended to solve the love potion conundrum later. Whether it was the best decision or not, it was the decision I _made_ , and I soon found myself standing in front of two female pteranodons, who squawked excitedly. The one on my right reached out and shook my paw.

"Nice to meet you, Claire! We've been reading all about you, ever since we came into this world!"

I cocked my head.

"Oh, so you're . . . interdimensional beings?"

The one on the left shook her head.

"We ain't magic or nothing. Just flew through a hole in the sky during our Vegas trip. Next thing you know, we're talking just like people, and reading too, of course! We're big fans, lemme tell you. Of your charity work, also. Thank you for trying to give us a better life."

I blinked.

"Wait, you're from . . . _my_ world?"

"Mhm."

"And you _talk_?"

"Yeah, but only after we flew through the hole. We were learning _before_ then, of course, but as soon as we came here, BAM! We're just like everybody else!"

I frowned.

"Ah. That's . . . interesting. I'm not sure I understand-"

"Neither do _we_ , but it's awfully exciting! We can't wait to hear about your adventures some more, ain't that right, Maribelle?"

"Yes, yes!"

I hummed.

"Oh, you have _names_ , too?"

The one on the right bobbed her head.

"Sure do! I'm Ariel, and this is Maribelle."

I nodded slowly.

"So you two became sentient once you flew through this 'sky-hole', but you were already starting to change back home?"

"Mhm."

"I see."

Now, I was interrupted by the commencement of Moonwatcher's unveiling ceremony, but I didn't hear much of the buildup, because I was distracted by this newest piece in the what-the-fuck-is-going-on puzzle. I was aware that the virus I had acquired also affected dinosaurs and the like, but I was still unclear on the details. From what I could gather, whatever DNA was knocking around in my body before my temporary death had defined my current form, but as for why the dinosaur-born-dinosaurs around me were basically sapient . . . who even _knows_? In any case, it sounded like there was at least one bridge between my homeworld and this wacky universe, which meant that Moonwatcher had even _more_ cleaning up to do than I originally thought.

I was so wrapped up in this mystery that I almost didn't realize that the giant ice statue of Bryce Dallas Howard had been revealed, and the only reason I _did_ notice it was because it was _completely naked_. Now, I wasn't surprised that Moonwatcher had pulled a stunt like this, but the final product was stunningly accurate, and this concerned me greatly. Although the statue wasn't of _me_ specifically, for all intents and purposes, this was no different from revealing my nude, human form to a crowd of _thousands_. Thank god I was dark green, or I would have turned red at the sight of it.

"Gosh, Claire, your plates are flushing!" Ariel squawked.

Fuck this body. Fuck it, fuck it, fuck it!

My heart sunk as Owen pushed through the crowd. To make matters worse, Eli wasn't far behind. I trotted up to them nervously.

"Hey . . ."

"Claire, what's going on?" Owen hissed.

"I had nothing to do with this! It's all Moonwatcher's doing!"

"Then why is it so-"

"Accurate? I don't know. It scares me."

Owen turned to Eli.

"Did you-"

"AH! I wasn't looking! What are you t-"

He cleared his throat.

"I mean . . . what a strange occurrence. Yes, indeed."

Owen crossed his arms.

"Moonwatcher's been hovering around you lately. Did you _encourage_ this?"

Eli frowned.

"What?! Of course not! I had _no_ idea! Why would I-"

Owen scoffed.

"Hm, I don't know. Maybe because you've been drooling over Claire ever since you two crash-landed and subsequently decided to booze things up!"

I snapped my jaws.

"Owen! What's gotten into you!"

He pointed at Eli accusatorially.

"Don't tell me you're not seeing this! He's been trying to nab you from the moment you started hanging out!"

I snarled.

"First of all, I don't _belong_ to you. Second, he's not trying to 'nab' me, but if he _was_ , you'd be making it _very_ easy!"

And then something unexpected happened. Instead of getting angry, Owen withdrew, looking very guilty indeed. He took a deep breath and put his hands in his pockets.

"I'm sorry."

I chirped inquisitively. Owen lowered his voice.

"I know it's been hard for you. I shouldn't have snapped."

Finally, some progress! I wondered what had inspired this change of heart.

(He can sense that he's losing me.)

No, he _can't_ , because he's _not_. I _love_ Owen.

(But-)

And _he_ loves _me_.

I smiled warmly.

"That's okay, Owen. I know you've been under a lot of stress, lately."

"Not as much as y-"

We all jumped as a microphone screeched to life. The dragon was onstage. Moonwatcher stood off to the side, pouting resentfully.

"Ladies and gentlemen, due to unforeseen . . . boobs and such . . . we'll be delaying the rest of the ceremony until further notice. We apologize for any distress this may have caused."

Moonwatcher stamped her foot.

"It's _art_!"

Elkay hissed, and Moonwatcher stormed away in a huff.

"Ain't nothing we haven't seen since 2005, but everyone's a critic," she babbled as she disappeared behind the giant carving.

After a pause, the dragon coughed awkwardly.

"I'll get her to put some clothes on it or something. In the meantime, please bear with us as we sort this out."

Once again, the crowd was filled with whispers and murmurs, and my name was spoken from several corners. I didn't like being put on the spot like that under normal circumstances, much less in the shadow of a three-hundred-foot-tall naked _me_ made of ice, but for once, Owen picked up on my emotional distress. He held out his hand.

"Should we get out of here?"

I nodded.

"Let's find Maisie and go home."

As soon as I uttered these words, I realized that Maisie was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Eli. Ariel and Maribelle were also absent, not that it mattered.

"Owen, did you see where-"

"She followed Eli into the crowd. I thought you told her to."

I slapped my forehead.

"Why would I- Oh, god, she's gonna beat him up, isn't she?"

"Yup. Should we stop her?"

"YES!"

"Okay, okay. You take the left side of the crowd, and I'll take the right."

I groaned.

"That's, what, _five hundred people_ each?"

"Then let's pull a 'Toucan Sam'."

"Huh?"

"Follow your nose wherever it goes."

You know, it was times like these that I remembered what I loved about Owen when we first got together. It was rare that we worked as a team, nowadays, but whenever we _did_ , everything suddenly made _sense_.

(So I can stop thinking about Eli, now.)

SHUSH.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Eli stopped driving when he realized that Maisie wasn't giving up on the pursuit. They had already strayed far from the crowd, and he didn't want her to get lost running after him. He turned around, rubbing his head impatiently.

"Maisie, if you're going to tell me to stop seeing your mother, I-"

"Do you like her?"

He sighed with exasperation.

"Why else would I want to spend time with her?"

"Do you _like_ her?"

Eli, jolted, then shuffled his tires awkwardly.

"Well, that's neither here nor there. Moonwatcher's been-"

"Owen says that you're trying to go after her."

Eli snuffed.

"Now _that_ is not true. Maisie, I would never, _ever_ try to woo someone who's already in a relationship, and especially not if that person was your mother. I respect her too much to pull something like that."

"Even if she liked you back?"

"Even then."

"Are you _sure_?"

"Yes, Maisie, I wouldn't- hang on, we're just talking about theoretical scenarios, right?"

She shrugged.

"Mum seems to be happier when you're around. Owen's been making her upset, lately."

Eli bit his lip.

"Parents fight. There's nothing unusual about _that_ . . ."

Maisie rubbed her arm.

"But it's been _so_ much worse, recently. She cries a lot after talking to him, and whenever he's around, she gets all droopy and sad, like a dog with a cone around its head."

Eli laughed nervously.

"Sweetheart, your mother isn't a dog. She's just going through a rough patch, and I'm not sure you should be telling me about-"

"But it goes away when she's with you. She's happy, because she knows that you like her, and Owen _doesn't_."

Eli's eyes went wide.

"Maisie! That's not true at all!"

"They've been growing apart. I can sense it happening. I love them both, but I don't think they can be together."

"It's probably temporary."

"I don't know. If mum stays a dinosaur, she might need another dinosaur to keep her company."

Eli shook his head.

"Maisie, I can't. You _know_ I can't. Even if I've changed, your mother was around when I did what I did. The only thing left for me to do is to find someone who wasn't _there_ , who wasn't directly impacted by my actions, and hope that they believe me when I say that I've changed."

"But she forgave you."

Eli sighed and sat down in the grass.

"It's not that simple, and I think you _know_ that. In a perfect world, maybe people could let go of the past and judge others for the person they are right now, but we can't just pretend like all that stuff never happened. The reason it's so hard to forgive people is because there's always a chance that they'll repeat their mistakes, and even though I've promised never to hurt you or your mother . . . Well, I can't stop you from remembering how it was, back at the estate. And it works the other way around, too. I thought that by reminding myself of the terrible things I did, I would prevent myself from ever considering them again. Mostly, it just made me hate myself for ever _being_ that way. And I _deserve_ to hate myself, because after all the pain I put you through . . . I dunno. I guess I feel like I should have _more_ taken away from me to balance it out. But another part of me knows that it won't do any good, and there's really no escaping what I did, whether it's through pain or forgiveness."

"I don't understand."

Eli squeezed his eyes shut.

"I know. You're too young to have this dumped on you. You've been forced to grow up faster over the past few months. You deserve to be far away from me and from the conflict between your parents and-"

"I'm not a _baby_."

He swished his tail.

"No, you're not. But you don't deserve this, still."

Maisie sat down beside him and hugged her knees.

"Maybe I _do_."

Eli scoffed.

"You _don't_ , trust me. You haven't done anything worth-"

"I know what happened when I set the dinosaurs free. Ariel told me."

Eli took a deep breath.

"That's not your fault."

"Maybe it _is_. And maybe it's _my_ fault that my parents are fighting."

He shook his head quickly.

"It's not. I swear, Maisie, it's not."

"I know that you're _supposed_ to say that, but even if it's not my _fault_ , exactly, it might still be . . . _because of_ me."

Eli inspected the overcast sky.

"Maisie, don't blame yourself. You've done nothing wrong. You've brought your parents so much joy-"

"And so have _you_. To my mother, I mean. I don't like it when she's sad. You'd be good for her."

Eli shook his head.

"Maisie, you can't expect me to be a part of your family after-"

"You don't _have_ to. You could be with my mom, and _I_ could be with her separately. And I could be with Owen away from you two, and he could find someone like Claire, who's human."

"So we'd all just live in our own little bubbles? That doesn't sound very practical."

"I could go away, then."

Eli frowned with worry.

"Maisie, no!"

"You could be with my mom, and Owen wouldn't feel like he has to hang onto her for my benefit. I could stay with Iris. She loves me just fine."

Eli frowned.

"Maisie, Claire loves you more than anyone in the world. _You're_ the one making her happy, not me."

"But I wonder how long it will last."

"Forever."

"Nothing's forever. Not even love. When Claire changed, Owen stopped loving her. What if _I_ change, too?"

Eli clicked his tongue.

"Your mother will _always_ love you, no matter what. And Owen loves your mother. He's just . . . really _inept_."

Maisie started sniffling.

"I don't know who loves me for real anymore . . ."

"Your parents do. I promise, they love you. You don't have to worry about a thing. You can trust them."

"But I used to trust _you_!"

Eli pulled his head back with surprise.

"Oh . . . Well, that doesn't matter. I think we _all_ know that I'm a piece of shit, but your parents . . . they're great people."

After a long silence, he scratched his neck awkwardly.

"For what it's worth, I truly am sorry. I know just saying it is not enough, but I wanted you to know. Whatever you choose to do with that is up to you, but however you feel about it . . . that's valid. I completely understand if you don't want to forgive me. And no matter what anyone else says or does, you're the only person who can make that call."

"Then why am I the only one who can't move on? Mum and Iris and-"

"You're not Claire, and you're not Iris. You're Maisie Lockwood, and whatever's in your heart is true."

"Does it make me a bad person if I can't forgive you?"

He snorted.

"No! God, no! It's perfectly reasonable, and it's totally up to you. It doesn't make you good _or_ bad. It's just the way things are. The only person who's bad in this scenario is _me_ , because I hurt you. I- Well, you _know_ what I did. If you want to hate me for a million years, that's perfectly fine."

"Then why ask for forgiveness?"

"I'm not asking for forgiveness. I'm just apologizing. I was hoping that it would give you closure, or something."

"How?"

". . . That's a very good question."

Maisie twisted her mouth.

"Well, I can't forgive you, but I believe you when you say that you won't hurt me anymore."

Eli smiled.

"That's great, Maisie. I'm sorry I ever gave you a reason to be afraid."

Maisie started pulling up blades of grass and rubbing them between her fingers.

"It's not _you_ I'm afraid of. The people you hate are scary because they can hurt you, but the people you _love_ can hurt you too, and that's even _scarier_."

". . . That's very profound, Maisie. But nobody's going to hurt you."

"Maybe not now, but things change. Just like what happened with Claire. Owen is hurting her, even though he doesn't mean to, and I- I worry that maybe I'm not the person she _thinks_ I am . . . or the person _I_ think I am."

Eli shook his head.

"She'll love you no matter what, and if you're true to your heart-"

Suddenly, Maisie stood up.

"You're lying! People don't love you no matter what! Life isn't a _fairytale_!"

"Maisie, I know you're probably going through a cynical phase, but-"

"You never told grandpa what you were doing with the dinosaurs, and when he found out, he _hated_ you! He _died_ hating you because you lied to him!"

Eli trembled like a leaf.

"That's a _completely_ different situation. _My_ actions were choices, and they were _bad_ choices. It has nothing to do with your grandpa hating me on a fundamental level. It has even _less_ to do with you and Claire."

Maisie sat down heavily, pressing her hand against her forehead.

"But that's not all there is. Iris says that you like men _and_ women. That's not a choice. It's a part of you. And you never told grandpa about _that_ either."

"Well, it was none of his business-"

"He told me that there's something wrong with men who like men, and women who like women."

". . . Did you _believe_ him?"

"No. I think he's wrong."

Eli nodded.

"Yeah, he was wrong about that."

"Iris says that he's from a different time."

"That's true."

"But I don't think that makes it better."

"No, it doesn't. But nobody's perfect."

"I don't like that he thought that way."

"Neither do I, but that's life. He was still a good man in many ways."

"Maybe, but he would have hated you even _more_ if you told him."

"Sure. But there's no need to dwell on it."

Maisie gulped and wiped her hands on her jeans.

"Are there a lot of people like that? People who think that there's something wrong with you for liking both, I mean?"

"Yes, but you don't have to worry about them."

"What if I _do_?"

"You don't have to concern yourself with that. They won't go after people like y-"

He noticed the look she was giving him, and suddenly understood. Maisie looked away abruptly, wiping her nose on her sleeve. Eli folded his claws together.

"Maisie, your mother loves you. You got _really_ lucky, let me tell you. Claire is one of the kindest, most accepting people in the world. I guarantee that if you told her-"

"Please don't tell her!"

Eli held up his paws.

"I won't, I won't! I promise. And _you_ don't have to either, but I'm telling you that you're safe under her roof."

Maisie gulped.

"It's not _just_ that I'm afraid . . . I'm also not sure. How do I know if this is _real_?"

Eli lifted his wheel and let it rotate lazily.

"Well, from personal experience, I can tell you that if you've been thinking about it for a long time, odds are, you're not just making things up. I used to be scared like you are now, and I kept making excuses for the way I felt. But there comes a point when you stretch those excuses so thin that you have to admit to yourself that, yeah, you're thinking about it too much for it _not_ to be true. And once I accepted that fact, I let the feelings in, scary as it was. With time, I started to think of myself differently. It was a hard pill to swallow, but it was worth it. Even if I couldn't be honest with anyone else, being honest with _myself_ was so liberating. If you have to lie to someone in order to stay safe, do it, but don't ever lie to yourself, because it only ends up hurting you."

Maisie nodded, but her face morphed into a worried frown, and she flung herself against his wheel, digging her fingers into his treads.

"I'm so afraid!"

"Me too, but it's going to be okay."

She wiped her eyes.

"How can _you_ be afraid? You're a _dinosaur_!"

Eli chuckled.

"Yeah, but I'm a big wimp. You're a lot braver than I am, and you're much smaller than me."

She looked up at him with glossy eyes.

"Do you really mean it?"

"Yeah, you're a pipsqueak."

She laughed. Eli smiled and patted her head.

"Don't worry, Maisie. You're going to be okay. You have a wonderful, accepting family. And if anyone tries to bring you down, I'm pretty sure either Claire or Iris will bite their heads off."

Maisie nodded.

"Thank you, Mr. Mills. I still haven't forgiven you, but I think talking about it helped."

"I'm glad, and you can just call me 'Eli'."

"Then thank you, Eli. I'm sorry you got eaten by the dinosaurs I set free."

"It wasn't your fault."

"I know, but I'm sorry it happened."

Eli smiled sadly.

"That's sweet of you to say."

She hugged his tire.

"You know, if you weren't so awful, we would probably get along alright."

"Mhm."

"It's too bad."

"Yeah. Too bad. Ready to go back?"

"Sure."

"Need a lift?"

Maisie climbed up his wheel and sat on his back.

"Do you come with seatbelts?"

"Unfortunately, no, but I promise not to let anything happen to you."

"Do you have a driver's license?"

"You sound like that cop. But yes, I do."

"Where's your horn?"

"You'll have to be more specific."

She smiled and crossed her arms.

"The car horn. Not the dinosaur-horns."

Eli smiled and honked twice. Maisie kicked his sides like a horse.

"Let's go!"

***TSJWFKFEW**

As they rejoined Claire and Owen at the beach, Eli couldn't help but feel like things were only getting better. With each passing day, he made significant progress, and mending his relationship with Maisie marked a huge step in his personal growth. He didn't expect her to forget what he'd done, of course, but he was glad that he had at least helped her in some way. It was just too bad that he was the first person she decided to come out to, appropriate though it may be. In any case, they were a little less alone, and that felt good.

 _BOOM!_

Eli's thoughts were cut short by a massive explosion. The giant ice statue toppled forward, cracking in several places. Large chunks from the upper body drifted out to sea, but some of the lower blocks landed among the crowd, crushing innocent civilians. Moonwatcher emerged from behind the stage, holding the controls for an explosive device.

"MY ART SHALL NOT BE CENSORED! I GAVE YOU BRYCE TIDDY! I DESTROYED BRYCE TIDDY! MY ART WAS TOO PURE FOR THIS WORLD! NOW YOU SHALL BE DEPRIVED OF EVEN ITS FACSIMILE!"

The dragon swooped down and grabbed her by the hair.

"That's it! That's the last straw! I hereby revoke your right to narrate freely. From now on, you're on cleanup duty, and cleanup duty only. You are to mend Jurassic World, end of story. And I literally do mean 'end of story'."

Moonwatcher broke free, smoothing her hair back with barely-concealed rage.

"FINE . . . Fine. I'll mend Jurassic World. I'll set things right. Believe you me, I'll undo what has been done."

Claire, Owen, and Eli turned to each other simultaneously.

"That doesn't sound good . . ." Eli said.

Owen shook his head as he observed Moonwatcher's calm descent from the stage.

"She's up to something."

"She's been drugging me," Eli piped up, "I'm sure of it. She-"

"She's not drugging you!" Claire interrupted, "I'm sorry, Eli. I wasn't going to say anything, but Moonwatcher told Elkay that the love potion doesn't mix with gasoline."

Eli's face fell.

"So she wasn't-"

"No."

"Oh, god. And I-"

"Yes, but there are more important things right now."

Eli backed away, stumbling clumsily.

"I- I'm sorry. I don't know if I can- I think we need to spend some time apart."

"Eli-"

"It's- it's for the best. I'm sorry. I-"

He broke off, then whipped around and sped away. Owen frowned.

"What was _that_ all about?"

Claire peered over her shoulder.

"I'll explain later. First, we need to deal with this Moonwatcher problem. Something's about to snap. We're at the precipice of a major disaster, and I'm not sure we want to cross that line. Moonwatcher's been pitting us against each other, and-"

"My ears are burning."

Claire arched her back and turned to face their former narrator.

"Moonwatcher-"

She curled her fingers sinisterly.

"That's my name. Don't wear it out. Listen, as long as we're airing our dirty laundry, I'd like to remind you that I have a lot on _you_ , having access to your thoughts and whatnot. I could probably unravel your relationships in ten words or less, but I'm feeling merciful today. I'm going to invite you all on a little cruise, which will serve as the first step towards purging any canon deviancy. I strongly advise you do as I say."

Through the crowd, Claire glimpsed a flutter of wings. Ariel and Maribelle were being roped down.

"What's going on over there?"

"None of your concern. They'll be taken care of, believe you me. Them and the others."

"Others?"

"I'd stop asking questions, if I were you. Nothing good will come of it."

Owen clenched his teeth.

"And why should we listen to _you_?"

Moonwatcher cocked her head.

"Because if you don't, I'll kill you like I killed Serena."

Needless to say, that was the moment when things fell apart.

 **To be continued . . .**


	15. Ed's Practically Unsinkable Ship

**ISLA NUBLAR**

 **120 Miles West of Costa Rica**

 _Beep, boop . . ._

 _Beep, boop . . ._

 _Beep, boop . . ._

 _Ka-CHUNK._

 _Ka-CHUNK._

 _Ka-CHUNK._

One by one, the submarine's lights ignited, illuminating the murky abyss that surrounded the sub-aquatic vehicle. Grains of algae and other particles glowed like fireflies, disappearing once they drifted out of the bright beams. One light settled on a partly-buried safe. A metal arm reached out and grabbed it. As the submarine began its ascent, the pilot turned to his assistant.

"I think we got it."

"We won't know until it's open."

He took a deep breath.

"I hope we can manage that . . ."

"I guess we'd better get some explosives."

"What? Bad idea! We can't damage the artifact! The Ocean's Anus is the most valuable rock on the continent, next to the Pink Star, the Moon Stone, and SUE!"

"Hey, why do they call it the 'Ocean's Anus', anyway?" the assistant asked, "Was 'The Fart of the Ocean' too on the nose?"

The pilot stared at him, unimpressed.

"They found it in a big crevice."

"Crev-iss or crev-ass?"

"Shut up, Toby."

The assistant pulled his finger out of his nose.

"Hey, Boss. Do you think it _belongs_ here?"

"Huh?"

"The rock. It was _found_ in the ocean, and it was _lost_ in the ocean. What if it's trying to get back home?"

"You think a _rock_ is trying to go home? _Really_?"

"Yeah! Or maybe it's _cursed_!"

"No rock is cursed . . . except engagement diamonds."

". . . Melvin, I know the divorce hit you hard, but lighten up a little."

He threw his hands in the air.

"Listen, the rock is not _cursed_!"

"Tell that to the victims of the sinking. Tell that to _Eli Mills_."

Melvin rolled his eyes.

"Listen, buddy, if you wanna get the full story, you should talk to Claire. We'll be getting the combination from her this afternoon, and I suggest you don't bring up Mills right away, since she's kinda torn up about it."

"Whatever you say, boss. Whatever you say."

***TSJWFKFEW***

"Word on the street is that you have information about the Ocean's Anus."

"Well, that depends."

"On what?"

"On what you want to know."

"How about the combination to this safe?"

"Well, if Moonwatcher set it up, it'll be 19-1-6-5."

"Hey! It worked!"

"Told you."

". . . Wait . . . where's the rock?"

"Oh, it's not in _there_."

"WHAT?!"

"I thought you were snooping through Eli's stuff to figure out what happened. Seems like everyone wants to hear _my_ side of the story, since he . . . isn't able to talk about it, himself."

"Oh. Naw, we just wanted the pretty jewel. But if you got a story to tell-"

"It's been eighty-four hours-"

"Too soon?"

"It's been eighty-four hours, and I can still smell the fresh paint . . . and also every individual passenger, the contents of their luggage, and basically everything else within a mile of my person. I have a good nose."

***TSJWFKFEW***

We had just learned that Moonwatcher was behind Serena's murder. In hindsight, it was kind of obvious, but I digress. My friends and I were brought to a massive ship at the East Dock: one of Moonwatcher's passion projects. She called it the _Titanosaur_. It was a magnificent vessel, but to me, it may as well have been a slave ship.

***TSJWFKFEW***

"Can we maybe not use racially-charged language? It's weird and implication-y."

"Noted. Anyway, we boarded the vessel, and soon, we were chugging out to sea. I stood on the deck, watching as people waved goodbye from the shore. They couldn't have known what was going to happen. Below my feet, the crew was hard at work, shovelling coal into the-"

"Wait, how would you _know_ that? You weren't _there_."

"It's a safe assumption, and it adds flavour to the story. Can you please stop interrupting me? It's painful enough to talk about this without your constant interruptions, and-"

"Fine, fine. We'll be quiet. Go on."

***TSJWFKFEW***

I was separated from most of my friends. Moonwatcher said that it was because of room availability, but I knew better. She was trying to divide us to prevent an uprising. She put Franklin and myself in Third Class, Zia and Gunnar in Second, and Eli, Owen, and Maisie in First. We were all allowed up on deck, but that didn't mean we were free to roam. Far from it. We were strongly encouraged to stay in our respective zones. By noon, however, I found a weakness in their security patrol, and sneaking past the crew, I left Steerage to track down Owen and Maisie. Instead, I found myself at Eli's door, having smelled his gasoline from the hall. I decided to ask him if he knew where my daughter and boyfriend were stationed, and maybe convince him to rise up against Moonwatcher with me. I was surprised to see him wearing a plush robe when he answered the door. I cocked my head with a puzzled expression.

"Hey, Claire."

He looked down.

"Oh . . . _this_ . . . Yeah, Moonwatcher gave it to me. Had one just like it back home. I think she's trying to suck up to me. This is the best I've been treated in a while . . ."

"Eli, we need to escape."

He snorted.

"How? We're in the middle of the ocean."

"Well, we could take control of the ship, and-"

He groaned.

"Oh, not again. Listen, Claire, I don't want another crash-landing, and especially not on water. If I sink-"

"I won't let you sink, Eli. I saved you once, and I can do it again."

"I don't want to risk drowning. It's a nasty way to go."

I glared at him.

"Yes, Eli, I imagine that suffocation is rather unpleasant, and on that note, I think you still owe us a favour."

His eyes fell to the floor.

"What do you need me to do?"

"Find Owen and Maisie. I'll be headed to Second Class for the others. We'll meet on the deck, and plan our escape from there."

Eli exhaled slowly.

"What if they don't believe me?"

"What do you mean?"

He frowned.

"Hm, I don't know. Maybe it's a little suspicious to go up to people and say, 'Hey, let's all rise up against a tyrant, just like before, only it's _Claire's_ idea this time, I swear!'"

I growled.

"Eli, I need your help."

He shook his head.

"I'm useless to you. Why not get Franklin or Zia to help you? You don't need _me_."

I crossed my arms.

"Eli, what's this _really_ about?"

He tossed his head.

"Jesus Christ, Claire! I all but said 'I love you' this morning, and-"

"Eli! This is important! Whatever happened between us doesn't matter!"

He choked a little, eyes darting back and forth.

"It matters to _me_! You have no idea what I'm _going through_ right now! Why didn't you stop me from saying what I said?!"

"Because it was awkward enough already!"

"So your solution was to make me a laughingstock?"

"Eli, that's completely unfair! _You're_ the one who said-"

"I _KNOW_! I KNOW WHAT I SAID! CAN YOU JUST SHUT UP ABOUT IT!"

I pulled my head back, shrinking into the hallway. Eli caught his breath, then lowered his head.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, _so_ sorry, Claire. I didn't mean to yell . . . Just go on without me."

"Eli-"

"I wish I could help, but you don't need me messing things up. You can do this alone. You're stronger than you think you are."

I began to reach out, but changed my mind and dug my claws into the carpet.

"So you're just gonna sit here in your little robe and let me deal with this _alone_?"

"You're _not_ alone. You have your friends. What do you need _me_ for?"

I swished my tail with irritation.

"Well, I'd like to have _all_ of my friends with me. We'll figure a way out of this Jurassic Jumble, you'll see!"

Eli bit his lip.

"I'm sorry, Claire. I have to say 'no'."

"You're being a lousy friend!"

He sunk against the doorframe.

"I know. But it's not like I've been stellar _before_ this, and truth be told, I'm only slowing you down."

I grabbed him by the collar of his robe.

"Don't you start with this self-pity routine! I'm asking for your help, and if you decline . . . God, just _help me_ , please!"

He closed his eyes.

"Goodbye, Claire."

I let him go.

"Eli!"

"And good luck."

He closed the door. I didn't try to stop him. I stood motionless in the hallway for a long time. Eventually, I accepted that whatever friendship had sparked between us was over, and lumbered down the hall, tail dragging. I looked over my shoulder, wondering if Eli would come barreling out of his room at the last second, but I was out of luck. I churred sadly and made my way to a nearby stairwell.

***TSJWFKFEW***

I intended to sneak down to Second Class, but I got lost along the way. I eventually found myself near the captain's quarters. The dinosaur steering the vessel was a Baryonyx, and a very familiar one, at that. The Stygimoloch at their side was also ringing a bell.

"'Ello there!" said the Baryonyx, "I'll bet you're surprised to hear me talking, and such, but we was lifted out of our former state, and have subsequently gained some level of sentience. 'Pologies for attacking you, back on the island. I was hungry, see, and you seemed like an easy meal."

The Stygimoloch took a puff of his pipe.

"I'm NOT sorry for trying to smash you. Your whistling was quite irritating. Yes, indeed."

I hummed.

"I thought you were a girl."

"So did everyone _else_ , but _I_ knew better," he grumbled.

I looked to the Baryonyx, hoping to get a similar explanation, but they didn't pick up on the cue. I cleared my throat.

"What's your name?"

"Ed."

"Ah. And that's short for? . . ."

"Edward or Edwina."

I nodded, though I had no idea what was going on. I kept those thoughts to myself, of course.

"Well, it was nice meeting y- Hey, wait a minute. Did you come from _my_ world?"

The Baryonyx pulled at their collar.

"Yes, something like that. Listen, I'm not happy about the current arrangement, but Moonwatcher says-"

"Would you kindly _shut up_?!" the Stygimoloch snapped, "You know what she said about talking to passengers!"

"Mr. Stygimoloch-"

"MY NAME IS MR. JELLYBEAN, GOOD SIR!"

"And I'm not a _man_ right now, thank you very much!"

The Stygimoloch turned to me.

"She's probably hormonal."

"EXCUSE ME!"

The two continued bickering as I shambled off, unnoticed. Without a friend to help me, things were looking pretty dire. I perked up when I heard Franklin's voice echoing down the hall. I tumbled through the corridor and skidded to a halt in front of an open door.

"Zia! I don't _care_ how fancy the toilet is! It's NOT a drinking fountain!"

I beamed.

"Franklin! You made it up here, too!"

Zia bounded into view, chin dripping with water.

"Claire, you're alive!"

I smiled.

" _Of course_ I'm alive! You didn't think I'd leave my friends alone, did you?"

Zia wrapped her arms around my neck, and I gagged at the smell of toilet water. She nuzzled my cheek, then slipped to the floor.

"So, what's the plan? Are we busting out of here?"

"Yes. We're going to pull a heist."

"You mean a 'mutiny'," Franklin corrected.

"No, we're not crew."

"But a heist is when you steal something, and we're not stealing anything," Franklin pointed out.

We all turned as Gunnar cleared his throat.

"Actually, we might want to consider it. I overheard some crew members talking about a magic amulet on board."

I narrowed my eyes.

"Gunnar, why would we steal a necklace from someone?"

Franklin blinked.

"Oh, I thought he meant 'omelette' for a second. That makes more sense."

As I rolled my eyes, Gunnar's tail folded between his legs.

"Well, I figured the best way to get to Moonwatcher is to hit her where it hurts-"

"Her tatas?"

"No, Zia. Her wallet," Gunnar explained, "If we pocket the amulet and whatever else she has stored on this ship, we can use it against her, and if holding the items hostage doesn't work, we can sell them and fund that cure Owen is always talking about."

Despite the twinge in my heart that told me I didn't want said cure, I was touched that Gunnar was willing to share the money instead of keeping it for himself. He wasn't the same person he had been back at the Estate, _that_ was for certain. I just wish he could sense my unease with the idea of a cure.

(Dangerous thoughts. Don't go down this road again.)

I gulped.

"Gunnar, why would Moonwatcher care about a piece of jewelry?"

"The stone in the necklace is magical. It will prevent whoever wears it from drowning."

"That could be useful, considering we're on a boat. Maybe one of us could use it to swim to shore."

Zia scoffed.

"He- _llo_? Part shark, here."

"Then why haven't you tried swimming away?"

"Oh, I guess I just didn't think of- BECAUSE THE WATER IS FREEZING, HOW ABOUT?!"

I blinked.

"Aren't we in a tropical climate?"

Gunnar shook his head.

"We sailed through a portal that spat us out in the Atlantic. It's pretty cold, here. Zia nearly died."

"Did not!"

"Well, she got very cold, and I was concerned."

"You started crying."

Gunnar's lip quivered.

"She was all blue and veiny and we had only just started being friends and-"

Zia slapped him on the back.

"Buddy, I'm okay. But he's right. Swimming is a no-go. Claire, on the other hand, can fly."

I scratched my neck awkwardly.

"I'm not _that_ comfortable with flying. I'm sorry, Zia, but I don't even know where we _are_ , much less how far my wings could take me. I might end up in the water, too."

"Won't your blubber protect you from the cold?"

I glared at her. She shrugged.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Claire. Plenty of people go for that body type, and as long as you love yourself-"

"Zia, enough with the 'thicc' stuff, okay? I feel bad enough about myself without your thoughtless remarks!"

She bit her lower beak.

"I'm sorry, Claire. I didn't know it made you uncomfortable."

I slapped my tail against the carpet.

"Doesn't matter. More important stuff to deal with. Gunnar, where is this necklace being stored?"

He shrugged.

"No idea. We could try the luggage bay, but I'm not sure something as important as this artifact would be kept with the other stuff."

"It is, but it's being guarded."

We turned to see Owen leaning against the door. Maisie was standing next to him. I rushed over to lick his face. He smiled and tickled my chin.

"Good to see you too."

"How did you find us?"

"I know my way around a ship."

He stepped into the room.

"Now, listen up. The Ocean's Anus is being stored in the cargo bay, but I heard there's a fierce dinosaur guarding it. I say we take down the dino and nab the jewel for ourselves."

"Just like that?"

He clicked his tongue.

"Well, there's one more thing . . ."

***TSJWFKFEW***

"I'm gonna need you to open this door for me."

I stared at the metal barrier, cocking my head with puzzlement.

"I don't know how."

Owen shrugged.

"Well, you know. You can just . . ."

He made a ramming motion. I sighed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Fine, but I need Gunnar to help."

He scooted up to me.

"Glad to."

I nodded.

"Ready? One . . . Two . . . THREE!"

We charged the door. Our heads made a dent, but nothing significant. I turned to Franklin.

"You're ceratopsian too."

He gulped, touching his chest nervously.

"Isn't there a theory that they used their heads for mating displays instead of fi-"

"FRANKLIN!"

"On it."

I nodded, pawing the ground.

"One . . . Two . . . THREE! . . . One . . . Two . . . THREE!"

When we finally managed to ram open the doors, I gasped. The cargo bay was filled with cages, stacked all the way up to the ceiling. They were filled with a wide assortment of dinosaurs. The creatures hooted and howled miserably as we passed, and I was surprised to hear a few voices among the roars. These weren't like the dinosaurs back on the island: they were like the dinosaurs back on . . . the island, but _my_ island. The one from _my world_. I saw Ariel and Maribelle in a cramped cage near the roof, which suggested that this must be the case. They weren't the only dinosaurs who got an upgrade in sentience, apparently.

Okay, I know that pteranodons aren't dinosaurs. I was trying to make a point.

My gang wandered deeper into the room, eyes wide. We passed a carnotaurus with a broken horn, a scruffy-looking Rex, and a Sinoceratops with a large, gaping mouth who wouldn't stop screaming. She rushed up to the bars and pressed her face between them.

"Let me out! Let me out! I don't wanna go back!"

"Shut up!" shrilled a young Allosaurus, "You're so annoying! GAWD!"

The Sinoceratops started weeping dinosaur-sized tears. As Owen walked by, she lowed happily, suddenly blessed with high spirits.

"You came back for me!"

Owen quirked a brow.

"Huh?"

After a pause, her lip quivered.

"You . . . you don't _remember_ me?"

Owen blinked.

"Um . . . Let me think . . . It's right on the tip of my tongue . . . Does your name start with a 'P'?"

"I don't _have_ a name."

Owen gulped.

"Oh."

"But you can _give_ me a name, since we're _destined_ to be together."

Owen's eyes went wide.

"We're _what now_?"

She tried to kiss him through the bars.

"We're dinosaur-married. That means we'll be mates for life."

Owen held his hands together.

"Um, listen . . . uh . . . what did you say your name was?"

"I don't have-"

"Right, right. I'll just call you P- Perry? Is Perry okay?"

"It's fine, my love."

He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Uh, okay. The truth is, Perry, I _don't_ remember you, and I'm pretty sure we've never m-"

She dragged her tongue across his face. He blinked.

"Oh. You're _that_ Sinoceratops."

She smiled, cheeks round like dumplings.

"Uh-huh. And I saved you from Carter. Bastard deserved to get stepped on."

"You're welcome," the Tyrannosaur called from the other cage.

Fed up with this Owen-stealing ceratopsian, I butted into the conversation.

"What are you dinosaurs _doing_ down here?" I asked.

"They're shipping us back to our homeworld," a Gallimimus with a seared leg piped up, "The one they call 'Moonwatcher' built a conversion facility in the middle of the Atlantic. Once we reach that point, she's gonna cut out our vocal cords and do brain surgery so that we act like animals again."

The tyrannosaur scoffed, and as she turned around, I noticed that she was sprouting hairs on her neck and horns from her head.

"They're gonna have to do a lot more than _that_ to some of us."

The Galli swallowed, sending a lump down his long neck.

"They're gonna practice on the expendable dinosaurs until they get it right. Gallies are a dime a dozen, so this won't end well for me. I should've joined Ed and Mr. Jellybean. I thought it was better to hold to my principles, but that's a lot easier to do when you can't see what's coming. Now, I'm not so brave."

I curled my fingers around the bars.

"We're gonna get you out of here."

The Galli nuzzled my beak.

"I knew you'd save us, Claire. You're not like the others."

"The others?"

"The humans at the park. They never cared about us, but _you_ do."

I turned away guiltily.

"Not always. For a while, I lost sight of what was important."

He lifted my chin with his finger.

"But that spark inside of you never died out. Of all the humans I've ever met, you're the most _dinosaur_."

I knew I shouldn't be proud, hearing his remark, but I couldn't help myself. For a moment, everything made sense. No matter what happened, I couldn't forget the dinosaurs. I had tried to harden my heart to advance my career, but no matter what, I refused to abandon the creatures who depended on me, whom I was destined to save. Every human instinct in me was _wrong_. The _human_ Claire tried to suppress her emotions in the name of good business. The _human_ Claire had listened to Owen when he told her to let the dinosaurs suffocate. The _human_ Claire was so preoccupied with _being_ human that she barely qualified as one, most of the time. She was really _bad_ at it. But she was _good_ at being a dinosaur.

 _I_ was good at being a dinosaur.

I was a dinosaur.

"Oh my god!" Owen shouted.

I jumped, afraid that we'd been discovered, but instead, I saw him standing in front of a cage across the room. Inside, a raptor paced back and forth.

"Blue . . ."

I cantered over to Owen, but along the way, I noticed something glimmering out of the corner of my eye. A necklace with a blue gemstone in the middle was sparkling from behind a set of bars. As I approached the cell, something shifted in the darkness. Golden scales glowed in the dim light, glistening like coins. It was the monster from the forest. Somehow, it had survived my attack, and it was locked away like the others.

I took a step forward, suddenly calm. The golden hybrid met my gaze, and we advanced towards each other. Taking in my scent, he snorted, then growled gently. He recognized me as his attacker. I kept moving forward, chirping gently. The creature's quills bristled with interest. I held out my paw, reaching through the bars. Cautiously, my double did the same. Our claws were almost touching when Owen ran over and yanked me away. The hybrid roared with surprise, then made a grab for him. I knocked Owen out of the way, then charged towards him, hissing with rage. He leaned back in his seated position, and although he tried to move his face away from my hunched figure, I was painfully aware of the fearful expression on his face, which still bore the scars from our last violent encounter. This time, however, I did not feel a crushing guilt. I was _angry_. Owen had come between me and my destiny, like he _always_ did. He didn't understand. He would _never_ understand. He wasn't attuned to my instincts. He had no concept of how powerful they were, how _right_ they felt.

 _He_ was a human, and _I_ was not.

I advanced towards him, beak curled in a fierce snarl, but Maisie suddenly darted forward and wrapped her arms around my neck. I jumped, but when she started petting my snout, I relaxed my claws. I leaned into her as she whispered in my ear.

"Don't hurt him, Mummy. It's not his fault. He doesn't know."

I looked down, panting slowly. Maisie squeezed me tenderly, and I gave in. I licked her cheek and turned away from Owen. He got to his feet slowly, anticipating another attack. I was done with him.

"Claire . . ."

I didn't turn to face him, but instead snuffed quietly.

"Claire, what the hell!"

I snarled over my shoulder.

"Leave me alone!"

Maisie circled my body. She knelt in front of me and pulled a dead rat out of her jacket. Owen lifted his hand.

"Maisie, no!"

I snapped at him, and he stumbled backwards. I turned back to Maisie and pinched the rat delicately in my beak before swallowing it whole. Owen clenched his fists.

"Maisie! We agreed no more rats!"

She stood up abruptly and stomped her foot.

"It was already dead! I found it in the hall!"

Owen reached forward to grab her arm, but I knocked him away with my horn.

"Stay away from my baby!"

He spread his arms with disbelief.

"She's _my_ baby, too! You don't get to take ownership of her just because you're the 'fun parent'. Whether or not you care to admit it, you're a bad influence on her. She can't survive on cuddles and licks, especially not when her mother is slowly deteriorating and mutating into something _abhorrent_!"

I clawed the ground, making sparks.

"She loves me just the way I am!"

"Yeah, and _that's_ the problem!" he snapped, "All this time, you've been normalizing this animalistic behaviour, while I try desperately to keep things under control. How the hell did _I_ become the responsible one, Claire? How far have you _fallen_?"

I let out a feeble growl, then held Maisie protectively. I nuzzled the top of her head as Owen circled me.

"I don't even _recognize_ you anymore! _Either_ of you! You go off to play 'dinosaurs' for hours on end, and it's like you expect _that_ to be your life! Well, it _can't_ be! If you want to be a dinosaur, Claire, fine. But don't drag our little girl into your delusions. Do you want to raise her to be a killer? Do you want her to become a monster like you?"

I licked the top of Maisie's head, snaking my tail around her as Owen tried to pull her away from me. She buried her face in my chest. Owen crossed his arms.

"This isn't right, Claire. Maisie isn't a toy. She's just a girl, and she needs a _mother_. You can't be that mother while you're like this. She's a human being, and _you_ have to be one too, or who knows what'll become of her!"

I looked down at Maisie, who stared at me with wet eyes. Slowly, I ran my paw over her head. A paw made for hunting. For killing. Her hair slipped between my claws.

"Don't hurt her like this, Claire. She doesn't deserve it," Owen pleaded.

Maisie squeaked quietly as my grip around her loosened. I stepped back, and she reached out for me, but I pushed her arm down gently.

"Maisie . . ."

"Mummy, I love you!"

I crawled backwards as she grabbed at my paw, eyes brimming with tears.

"No, Maisie. Stay."

She ignored my advice, rushing forward to hug my snout. I froze in place, then started shaking. Owen walked over calmly and pulled us apart. Maisie screamed and tried to clutch me, but I remained still. I watched as Owen carried her away.

'You're not gonna let him take her, are you?'

I jolted, snapping my head towards the cage. The golden hybrid sneered, baring its teeth.

'She's _your_ child, after all. Why not keep her for yourself? . . .'

I batted my eyes. The animal started pacing back and forth.

'I wonder, is that why you tried to have me kill him? Did you intend to keep the girl for yourself? Seems like a big risk to take, pointing the gun at him like that . . .'

My jaw dropped.

' _You_ . . .'

'Yes, _me_ ,' the creature hissed, 'You didn't think I was stalking you for no reason, back in the woods . . . I remember what you did to me. I _remember_.'

I swallowed.

'But . . . but you're-'

'The bones poisoned me, just like _I_ poisoned _you_. My killer instincts were dulled by the transformation, but you? . . . No, you only became more vicious. But you were _always_ a killer. You tried to kill _me_.'

I shook my head.

'I was trying to save Maisie and O-'

I realized that Owen was staring at me with confusion and worry. I took a shaky breath.

"Owen, did you hear what he said?"

He shook his head slowly.

"Neither of you have said _anything_. You've just been . . ."

I turned to the creature, who smiled cruelly.

'He doesn't understand us.'

I stumbled backwards.

'N-no. That's impossible. I don't speak-'

'You speak the language of our species.'

'How?'

'What do you mean, "how"? We're the same, you and I. We're born of the same blood. We're siblings, you and I . . .'

'No!'

'Don't try to deny it. I know you feel the same way. We're family.'

He reached through the bars.

'So let me out of this cage, my sister . . .'

I took a deep breath.

'I can't.'

'Why not?'

'You'll hurt Owen and Maisie.'

'I promise, I won't.'

Owen gulped.

"Claire, what's going on?"

"It's the Indoraptor. He wants me to set him free."

"Oh, god . . ."

'Let me out, Sister, and I promise no harm will come to anyone on this ship. They've hurt us, these people, but it doesn't have to _be_ that way. We can escape together. Please, set me free . . .'

As I leaned towards the cage, Owen dashed across the room. I yanked my paw away from the lock.

"Claire, no!"

'Don't let him stop you. He doesn't understand. Only _you_ can decide what's true. Do you really believe we're destined to be monsters?'

I hesitated. The hybrid's quills drooped.

'Very well. I'll-'

In the blink of an eye, I reached forward and unlocked the dinosaur's cage with Moonwatcher's original code, letting the door swing open. Aghast, Owen began to flee with Maisie in his arms, but thought better of it and let her run on her own, doubling back to save me. He turned just in time to see the former Indoraptor drop the necklace in my paws.

'We are more than what they see.'

I nodded, caressing the amulet. Owen ran his fingers through his hair, mouth agape.

"What the hell . . ."

"It's over, Owen. He won't hurt us."

His eyes went wide.

"But he's-"

I snapped my jaws.

"He's _what_? What _is_ he, Owen? Is he like _me_? Do you think we're _both_ monsters?"

He shrunk away.

"No, I-"

"Then shut up! I don't want to _ever_ hear you call me a monster again!"

He looked up.

"But Claire-"

"Quiet!"

I turned to the Indoraptor-stegoceratops.

'Can you help me free the others?'

'My pleasure.'

We moved from cage to cage, unlatching the doors as we went. Maisie ran up to me, tugging on my arm.

"Claire, are you sure this is what you want?"

I smiled.

"Absolutely. You were right, Maisie. These dinosaurs are like us. They deserve to be free."

She beamed proudly and joined me in unlocking the enclosures. One by one, the dinosaurs burst from their prisons, roaring triumphantly.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Moonwatcher whipped around when a stampede of dinosaurs crashed through the bridge. She cowered as a family of Brachiosaurs stepped over her head, then danced around, trying to avoid a flock of Compsognathus. She barely had time to register what was happening before I pinned her to the wall. She yelped as I snorted in her face.

"This ends here."

The captain emerged from the cabin, swivelling her head from side to side like a snake. She caught sight of me and covered her mouth.

"Claire! You came back!"

The burned Galli scampered up to her with a sneer.

"Good thing she did, seeing how you left us to suffer under Moonwatcher's care!"

As the dinosaurs chewed each other out, I turned back to Moonwatcher.

"It's over."

She stopped kicking and let her legs dangle.

"I was just following orders! Elkay told me to set things right, and I thought-"

"Shut it. I know you're lying. Why would you bring me and the others on this ship, when we're not even _close_ to the way we were before?"

Her eyes fell to the floor.

"I wanted to do a tropical island spin-off, and I thought if I smuggled you guys with the rest of the dinosaurs-"

She choked as I pressed her against the wall.

"Enough with your story! This is _real life_ , not some convoluted narrative written by a hack author with too much time on her hands!"

"Actually-"

I growled menacingly.

"No more objections!"

Her eyes went wide. She was looking over my shoulder.

"Um . . . Claire?"

"I'm not falling for this overdone routine."

"No, I'm serious, Claire, there's a-"

"Moonwatcher, I'm not as gullible as you th-"

She pointed insistently.

"NOSE!"

Now, that remark was so odd that I couldn't help but glance over my shoulder, and when I did, I saw a giant chunk of ice floating dead ahead. Sure enough, it looked like it had been lopped off a giant face.

"Oh my god . . . is that from the Bryce sculpture?"

Moonwatcher covered her mouth.

"Oh, no! It's a _BRYCEBERG_!"

I let her drop, and she scampered over to warn the captain. When the danger became apparent, they rushed to the wheel, turning it frantically. Mr. Jellybean rang the alarm bell.

"Attention! Attention! Due to a glacial anomaly, we-"

He was knocked aside by Perry.

"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!"

Chaos erupted on the deck. I dove for cover as a massive foot landed inches from my snout. The dinosaurs bellowed and wailed until they were interrupted by a loud foghorn. They fell silent and stood at attention, staring at the iceberg, which drifted to our right as we turned. They breathed a sigh of relief as the front of our vessel cleared it. I didn't realize I had been holding my breath, either.

Suddenly, the ship shuddered beneath my feet. Something was wrong.

"We've hit her beautifully angular cheekbone beneath the surface!" Moonwatcher cried, "Crew, get down there and assess the damage!"

A group of dinosaurs wove through the crowd. I followed Moonwatcher as she marched beside the railing.

"Moonwatcher! Moonwatcher!"

"Not now, Claire!"

"Moonwatcher, we need to deploy the lifeboats!"

She wheeled around.

"Not yet, we don't! My crew is perfectly capable of-"

"But Moonwatcher-"

Suddenly, she slapped me aside. It was like being hit by a sack of bricks. I had forgotten how strong she was.

"Listen up, Claire," she hissed, "There aren't enough lifeboats for all of us, much less the larger dinosaurs, so I recommend you shut your mouth and avoid whipping up a frenzy."

I rubbed my cheek.

"You didn't build enough lifeboats?"

She scoffed.

"When in the history of nautical disasters has a lack of lifeboats _ever_ been a problem?"

I narrowed my eyes. She put her hands on her hips.

"Oh, come on. We're not even sure if this ship is sinking or not."

"And if it _is_?"

"We'd all be fucked."

A microraptor scuttled up to her nervously.

"Oh, boy. You're not gonna like the damage report, then."

She yanked a sheet of paper from his paws and scanned it furiously. After a beat, her face lost all color.

"Oh my god . . . we're going to sink . . . just like the Edmund Fitzgerald."

The microraptor lifted a claw.

"Might I suggest a more accessible reference?"

Moonwatcher threw the crumpled-up paper at his face.

"Fine! The Lusitania, then! Can't you fix this with ocean-science? You know, checking the winds or- m'kay, yeah, no, that'd be a waste of time. Start rounding up the crew. We're going to evacuate the vessel."

"Are you s-"

"NOW, DAMNIT, NOW!"

I watched as the tiny dino scampered away. I met Moonwatcher's gaze with worry.

"How many people will make it off this ship alive?"

She ran her fingers through her hair, then shook away the strands that came loose.

"There's room for more than half of us, if we let the small ones on board first. Follow me."

I trotted behind her as she descended into the hull, stomping rhythmically down the stairs. As we moved deeper and deeper into the ship, I sensed that something wasn't quite right. When we rounded a corner, I noticed water inching down the hall . . . or _up_ the hall, since we were on an angle now. I brayed with fear.

"Moonwatcher, we can't go any further!"

She shrugged.

"Here's good."

Suddenly, she pulled a pair of handcuffs out of her jacket and clamped them around my arm. Before I could react, the other end was dangling neatly from a heater. Moonwatcher backed away slowly.

"Sorry, Claire, but you're a danger to us all. I'm not just saying that because you pulled an insurrection. I know what happened in the storage bay, and I don't think it's right to keep you in the protagonist slot. How about we kill you off in our season finale and be done with it?"

"Moonwatcher!"

"Don't forget to have a heart-wrenching monologue before you die!" she called over her shoulder.

I heard a door slam, then . . . silence. The sound of water was the only noise filling the dead air. I yanked on my cuffs, interrupting the quiet with a cacophony that echoed through alarmingly empty halls.

"HEY!"

No reply. I howled at the ceiling, hoping to get someone's attention.

"I'M IN HERE!"

I screamed and screamed and screamed. I screamed until my voice was hoarse and my throat was dry. Still, no one came. I sunk to my knees and wept. My sobs halted suddenly when I felt wetness on my heels. I gasped and stood upright, finding a cold puddle at my feet. The water had crept up to where I was chained. I whimpered as the icy liquid slithered through my toes, rising higher and higher with each passing second.

"Claire!"

I lifted my head.

"Owen? . . ."

"Claire!"

Although the voice was distant, there was no mistaking it. Owen was nearby. I rattled my cuffs against the furnace.

"Owen! Owen, I'm in here!"

I cried out for joy as he rounded the corner. He reached down to tug on my cuffs, then looked past me.

"Gimme a sec."

He made his way towards a fire-axe hanging from the wall, wading through the rising water. When he returned with the weapon in hand, I started shivering.

"Owen . . ."

"Claire, you need to trust me. Do you trust me?"

"I- I don't kn-"

Without warning, he leaned forward and kissed me. All of a sudden, I felt myself glowing from inside, warm despite the frosty fluid caressing my ankles. Owen pulled away and took aim.

"Do you trust me, Claire?"

"Yes."

"Then hold still."

I closed my eyes tight. There was a loud clang, followed by the hiss of steam, and my hands dropped to the floor . . . still attached to my arms, thank god. I rubbed my wrists and sobbed with relief. Owen kissed my cheek and nodded to the exit.

"We have a lot to talk about, but I think it can wait. We don't have much time left."

I followed him down the hall. After a pause, I inhaled unsteadily.

"I'm sorry for almost biting you."

"That's okay."

"No, it's not. I-"

He turned and put his finger on my beak.

"Claire, I know you wouldn't have done it."

"I-"

"No, Claire. I was wrong. About a lot of things. But we don't have time right now. We need to get out of here."

I nodded, then smiled sadly.

"If I had done it, would it have been 'A Bite to Remember?'"

He blinked.

"I don't get it."

I rolled my eyes.

"Nevermind. Let's go."

***TSJWFKFEW***

By the time we reached the deck, it was utter chaos again. Boats were being stocked with dinosaurs, some of whom were too large to fit in the vessels. Perry stepped into a boat on my right, causing the wires to snap. It landed in the water after a chorus of surprised screams.

"Where's Moonwatcher?" I asked.

Owen shook his head.

"When she came back without you, we started asking questions. She looked really nervous, then she pointed at the sky and said, 'Look! A tit-slug!' and when we turned back, she was rowing away in a lifeboat."

"Not surprised. Where's Maisie?"

"On a lifeboat with Zia and Franklin. Iris is on the boat next to theirs. I'm sure we can find one four ourselves."

I looked down at my portly figure.

"Owen . . ."

"They'll have room."

We jumped as an Ankylosaur bellowed on his hind legs.

"Women and children first!"

"Goddamn it!" Mr. Jellybean and Ed shouted in unison, before turning to look at each other with confusion.

"You know, Mr. Jellybean, I'm sure they'd let you on a lifeb-"

"NOPE."

"I'm not saying you're a woman. But it might be worth asking them if-"

"LISTEN HERE, MA'AM. I WAS _BORN_ A MAN AND I'LL _DIE_ A MAN."

" _I'm_ a man too, you know."

"Right now?"

"Yes."

"Ah. Any chance you'll be able to switch back before the ship goes down?"

"No. Besides, I'm the captain, and you know how the old saying goes . . ."

Owen gestured to the left side of the ship.

"Come on."

We wove through the crowd, hoping to find a means of escape. There appeared to be only one lifeboat left, and it was looking rather full.

"Room for one more! Small dinosaurs and humans only!"

I turned to Owen. He shook his head.

"I won't leave you. We're in this together."

I bit my beak.

"Owen . . ."

"I've made up my mind."

"Maisie needs you."

"She needs _us_."

"But what if she ends up with neither? . . ."

"LAST CALL!"

I watched as they prepared to lower the boat. The look in Owen's eyes told me that he wouldn't go, not in a million years. I scanned the deck. We were out of options.

"Alright, men! Pull!"

The lifeboat creaked downwards slowly. I turned to Owen.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"I'm sorry, Owen."

"About wh-"

I cracked my horn over his head, knocking him unconscious. I caught him as he fell, then kissed him on the lips before dropping him into the lifeboat.

"Miss!"

I locked eyes with the crew member.

"Take good care of him, okay?"

He nodded slowly.

"We will, miss."

Beak quivering, I dashed away, unable to look at Owen, though I wouldn't be able to see him through my tears anyway. Dinosaurs ran past me in a blur, but I paid no attention to them. My ears were ringing, and my chest felt like it was about to implode. Gradually, I lost my balance. The ship was tilting upwards, held down by the weight of its sinking half. I spread my arms, letting them become wings, and took to the sky. I watched the sinking from there. It was the most horrifying sight I've ever witnessed, and the distant screams sent chills down my spine. Through the desperate voices, I managed to pick up the sound of a string quartet.

Not to get too meta, but they were playing the Jurassic Park theme.

***TSJWFKFEW***

When the last lights of the Titanosaur had dimmed beneath the water, my arms grew tired. I stayed in the air for as long as I could manage, but I eventually found myself gliding towards the shimmering ocean. Dinosaurs thrashed around within arm's reach, and a few nearly pulled me under. I distanced myself from the other survivors, shivering with fear and cold.

Gradually, the screams stopped. I wasn't sure if this was because the other dinosaurs had given up on calling for help, or worse, hadn't lasted as long as me. Eventually, though, I did hear a sound. It was a kind of put-put-put, and as it drew near, I heard bubbles as well. I shrieked as a bright set of blue lights blinded me for a few seconds. When I blinked away the flashing afterimage, I saw Eli making his way towards me on his back, supported by his airbag. He motorboated forward using his tailpipe, then came to a stop, rotating lazily.

"So. How did your revolution go?"

I let my face sink into the water. Eli smiled sadly and offered me his paw.

"Hop on."

My lip wobbled.

"You sure?"

"You'll freeze to death otherwise, and I could use the company."

I nodded and climbed onto his belly. When he dipped deeper into the water, I hesitated.

"Eli, am I too-"

"No, no! You're fine."

I settled myself on his chest.

"Can you feel the cold?"

"Yes. It's not the same as when I was human, but it's definitely not pleasant. I imagine I'll last about as long as a car in a snowstorm, and in the meantime, it's a very unpleasant sensation . . . which is why I'm glad I found you."

I smiled and rested my head between his arms. He patted me gently, then lay flat in the water.

"It's been an exciting day, hasn't it?"

"Yup."

"Did you see the octopus?"

"What?"

"A giant octopus tried to put the ship back together."

"You've got to be shitting me."

"Nope. But here's the weird part: the octopus was Céline Dion."

I rested my head against his chest and sighed.

"Nothing makes sense around here."

"No, it doesn't."

After a long silence, Eli started laughing. I frowned.

"What's so funny?"

He snorted.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about how my mother gave birth in a car, and now I'm going to die as a car."

"Is that ironic?"

"No, Claire. It's not ironic."

He twisted his mouth.

"Come to think of it, the first time I had sex was in a car, too."

"What does it mean, do you think?"

He let his head dip into the water.

"No idea . . . Hey, do you remember the day we first met?"

" _Of course_ I do. I already _told_ you I did."

"I know, but I wanted to ask you something. Were you mad at me, after that?"

"After _that_? No. I was . . ."

I _was getting ready to meet the representative of Lockwood's foundation, and I was afraid. The two men hadn't parted on good terms, and now it was up to me to heal that wound. I would be the one to guide us into the future, to make two paths one._

 _But as I walked across the room, I ran into someone, and the coffee I had been saving for Eli Mills was crushed. Brown liquid gushed between our chests, and as I looked up to see who had gotten in my way, I realized that Mills would have his coffee after all . . . just not in the way I intended. I could tell by his face that he didn't know who I was. As he shook the hot droplets off his hands, he frowned and said-_

 _"Well, I'd give you a month, if you're not fired immediately."_

 _Without meaning to, I ran for the bathroom and locked myself in one of the stalls, breaking down in tears. I hadn't expected such an outburst, but there I was, wondering if I'd lose the support of the Lockwood crew AND my career in one fell swoop, but after a few minutes of wiping my runny nose, there was a knock at the door, and a man stepped into the room. He told me that he didn't realize who he was talking to, and that he was sorry, and-_

". . . I was grateful. You could have had me fired right then and there, but you didn't."

"Over spilled coffee? Naw, that wouldn't have happened."

"No, it _wouldn't_ have. Because you _chose_ to let me off the hook. I messed up, and you _forgave_ me."

"Everyone makes mistakes. It was an accident."

I lifted my head to look into his eyes.

"If it was on purpose, would you have forgiven me then?"

He laughed.

"Did you coffee-kazi me as an act of sabotage?"

"Answer the question."

"I would have forgiven you."

"Why?"

"Because it was no big deal."

"Why else?"

"Because . . . it was a long time ago?"

I crawled up his chest and stared down into his deep, blue eyes.

"Eli . . ."

"I don't know what you want me to say."

I took a deep breath.

"Say . . . say the thing you wanted to tell me before."

"What thing?"

"You know."

"Claire, I-"

I leaned forward and pressed my beak against his lips. He tensed up, then pulled away.

"Claire!"

"Eli."

"Claire, you're confused. It's cold and- and we just survived a traumatic event and-"

"I forgive you."

He fell silent. Slowly, he turned to look at me, afraid that he had misheard. I took a deep breath and splayed my palm on his chest.

"I forgive you."

He didn't move, but I could see tears welling up in his eyes.

"Claire . . ."

"I forgave you a long time ago, but you should know . . ."

"Claire, I love you."

I leaned forward to nuzzle him, and he closed his eyes, dripping windshield wiper fluid into the Atlantic. The blue droplets spread into rings as they sunk.

I don't remember when I fell asleep. Just that I did.

And when I woke up, Eli wasn't moving.

***TSJWFKFEW***

"That's the last time I saw him. After the rescue, I reunited with Owen and Maisie. I never told anyone what happened . . . until now."

"And the rest of the passengers?"

"Many of them were buried at sea. Mr. Jellybean lost the love of his life. He was still clinging to Ed when they found him. All of my friends made it out okay. So did Perry and Blue and the Indoraptor, though we don't call him that anymore, since he's part Stegoceratops. We decided on Dory."

"And Moonwatcher?"

"Well, a few hours ago, this message washed ashore in a bottle."

 _Dear Claire,_

 _Sorry for chaining you to a furnace and leaving you for dead. No hard feelings, right? I'm currently stranded on a small island without food or water. I had to cannibalize Céline Dion to sustain myself, but the Dion-meat is running low, and I'd really appreciate a rescue. Again, I'm sorry about trying to murder you._

 _Here's to sinking an even bigger ship next season!_

 _Moonwatcher XOXO_

"Aw, man. What a bummer. So you really haven't seen Eli since then?"

"No, I haven't."

"Wait, I'm confused. Did he die or not?"

"No! Of course not! . . . Although I can see why my phrasing might have led you to that conclusion. No, Eli is alive, but we haven't spoken."

"How did he survive the water?"

"Well, you know that necklace you were looking for? . . ."

"You gave it to him . . ."

"Yes. But I lost it after that, I swear."

"Aw, bummer. You know, if it ever turns up, we promise to donate it to you so that you can fund a cure for your dinosaur-ness."

"Wait, we do?"

"Yeah, she needs it more than us."

"Fine."

***TSJWFKFEW***

After the interview, Claire lumbered away with a vacant, doleful stare. She made her way across the island until she reached the sandy cliffs, and peered over the edge.

"Don't jump."

She turned with surprise.

"Eli!"

He smiled warmly.

"Yeah, it's me. Nice to see you again."

"And _you_ . . . I wasn't going to jump, you know."

"I know. I was kidding. But I'm glad you're not, because I'd have to go in after you, and we both know I don't do well in water."

"After what happened on the ship, I can't say I'm a fan of it either."

Eli chuckled softly. After a pause, he lifted his head.

"Hey. I know things have been weird between us, ever since . . ."

"Well, you haven't called."

"I know. I thought I should give you some space, but . . . Can we talk?"

"Sure."

He sat down beside her.

"You're very lucky, Claire. You have friends, family . . . everything you need. With my history, I'd only be getting in the way."

"Eli-"

"Come on, Claire. We both know it's true. The most important people in your life _hate_ me, and with good reason. I can't be a part of this like you want me to be."

She reached up to stroke his cheek.

"Eli, all I'm asking for is a friend."

"And that's okay with me, just as long as you don't start . . . yeah."

"It was a one-time thing."

"I figured. Just so you know, the next time you have an emotional breakdown, we can work through it without locking lips, okay?"

She smiled guiltily.

"Okay."

He winked.

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow."

He stood and turned to leave, but Claire cleared her throat, suddenly.

"Eli, was it good for you, too?"

He sucked on his bottom lip, then turned around and smiled casually.

"Naw, you're not that good at kissing. I don't blame you for swooning, though. I've been told I'm quite the charmer."

She laughed.

"Goodnight, Eli."

"Goodnight, Claire," he replied, failing to conceal the quaver in his voice.

He rolled into the night. When she was sure that he couldn't see her, Claire reached under her arm and pulled out a glimmering necklace. She eyed the blue gem for a moment, then extended her arm, holding the jewel above the crashing waves.

She let it drop.


	16. Blue's Surprisingly Sweet Remark

For the fifth morning in a row, Maisie came to my room to sneak under the sheets beside me. I remembered a time when I was able to wake up at six in the morning without feeling drowsy in the slightest, but I mostly used this freedom to watch cartoons in secret. Maisie, however, thought that she was getting away with something by sneaking between me and Owen.

But mostly me, if I'm being honest.

She would tiptoe across the carpet, lift the covers, and slither between my arms. Once or twice, I gave her a squeeze just to let her know that I was aware of her presence. She often responded with, "I love you, Mummy." The little rascal knew that I couldn't kick her out after that.

This morning, however, I thought to ask a question.

"Maisie, are you having nightmares?"

She shook her head.

"I dream about the sinking, sometimes, and scary dinosaurs a lot more than that. Eli, once. But I like being near you, that's all."

I nuzzled her cheek.

"Maisie, we can't do this every morning."

"Why not? Don't you _want_ me?"

I snorted.

"Don't try to guilt-trip me. You're cute, but I'm not _that_ gullible."

She smiled and gave me a hug.

"Will you let me stay if I bring you a rat?"

I frowned sternly.

"We agreed, no more rats. Just oats from now on."

"I won't tell Owen."

I felt the blankets shift.

"I can hear you, you know."

Maisie flinched.

"Oops."

Owen sat up in bed, yawning.

"You can give Claire frozen rats, but nothing live. Lord knows, we have enough to deal with, being banned from the pet store, and all . . ."

Maisie pouted, rubbing my snout.

"She's hungry . . ."

I licked her cheek.

"Listen to Owen. A treat is fine every once in a while, but you shouldn't be spoiling me like this."

"But Mom-"

I poked her with my front horn.

"Don't argue, or I'll have to give you a bath."

" _You_ need a _rat_ more than _I_ need a _bath_!"

I quirked a brow.

"You asked for it!"

She screamed with glee as I started licking her face. She giggled and pushed my snout away.

"Okay, okay! No more rats."

I hate to admit it, but part of me was disappointed that she'd given in so easily. Of course, I could settle for our usual play-sessions, where she had me chase string and whatnot. It wasn't much of a challenge, but it somewhat quenched my desire to hunt.

But not really.

Nothing could compare to that feeling of pouncing on a living creature, and I was realizing more and more that I would have to deal with a kind of withdrawal that came with abstaining from live-feeding. On top of that, the headaches were back. It wasn't a fun combination.

Other than those hiccups, however, things were pretty okay. Moonwatcher was gone, for one thing, which was _amazing_ , and Owen had started warming up to the idea of a physical relationship. He hadn't _said_ anything about it, of course, but now more than ever, I could smell the attraction on him.

There's no such thing as secrets when you're dating a dinosaur.

The downside to this was, of course, that Owen wasn't the _only_ one giving off strong signals. I caught the same scent wafting off Eli every now and then, though it was masked by a thick layer of car-smell. Unlike Owen, who side-eyed me and checked me out when he thought I wasn't paying attention, Eli would emit attraction-smell at the _weirdest_ things. Well, okay, not _weird_ , per se, but _unexpected_ , for sure. There'd be a burst of that sweet smell every time I said something nice to him, which, okay, that made sense, but other times, he'd just be looking into my eyes, and he'd smile like he was noticing something cute about the mannerisms I displayed while ranting about something . . .

. . . You know, if I had to guess.

And it took every ounce of my strength to prevent myself from thinking about him as a viable alternative to Owen, because _of course_ he wasn't: he was _Eli_ , and I couldn't just _date_ Eli . . . even though Maisie was fairly comfortable around him now . . . and he tended to treat me better than Owen . . . and a part of me really, _really_ wanted to-

(STOP IT, CLAIRE. STOP IT.)

Okay, I'm not gonna lie. The whole "sexual frustration" thing was getting to me, but I could sense that Owen was on the brink of deciding to go through with it, so I couldn't very well leave him when we were about to have a breakthrough in our relationship. As much as I was curious about where a relationship with Eli might go, I could still remember a time when Owen was the best part of my life, and as for the intimate stuff-

Well, it would be pretty hard to top him in _that_ department.

And even though he wasn't fully accepting of my new shape, there were times when I'd catch glimpses of the way things used to be, and all of a sudden, I'd remember exactly why we _belonged_ together, why this relationship was worth _fighting_ for. Although he sometimes expressed his love in misguided ways, Owen would go to great lengths to ensure that I was safe and happy, and he had admitted that he was wrong about Dory, so _that_ was progress . . .

. . . That being said, I couldn't come out and say, "I'd prefer to live as a dinosaur now, Owen."

And so, we were back to square one, and like I said, the sexual tension was _killing_ me. Between this and my _other_ instincts, I was having a hard time venting, and I had a feeling that things were about to go horribly wrong.

As usual, I soon realized that my anxieties were only the tip of the iceberg.

Or the tip of the broken-up ice sculpture of Bryce Dallas Howard, if you will.

***TSJWFKFEW***

I didn't regret freeing the dinosaurs on the Titanosaur, but I had to admit, it was difficult integrating them into their new environment. The dinosaurs of _my_ world's Isla Nublar had been wild animals up until a few months ago, and as such, it was difficult to socialize them properly. The dinosaurs of this _other_ Isla Nublar were basically people, and had been living as such for quite some time. And I hated to admit it, but I wasn't well-versed on dinosaur rights. I had made the mistake of talking down to them many times, but there were also instances where I tried to talk about them as if they were the same as humans, which was also bad. They had their own needs, etcetera, and denying that in the name of holding up humanity as the golden standard was pretty biased. Even though I considered myself a dinosaur now, I still had to shake some of that conditioning.

None of this was helped by the fact that the dinosaurs had somehow appointed me their leader. Or maybe not their _leader_ , exactly, but their guidance counsellor, I suppose. I guess it made sense, since I was one of the people fighting for their rights back home, but I thought of them as animals when I did so, and things weren't the same anymore. I was struggling to offer them advice, while coming to terms with my own situation in private. I was still going back and forth on whether I was dead set on staying a dinosaur, because a very small part of me wanted to hold onto the past. To be honest, that feeling was fed not by my own desires, but by the fear that I'd be judged for my choice. By society, by my friends, and _especially_ by Owen. Even though he was conflicted as well, I knew that he was teetering on the opposite side of the spectrum as me. He didn't much like the fact that I was hanging out with natural-born dinosaurs either, which is why there was an air of smugness about him when he showed me a bloody handprint next to a red stain in the dirt behind the garage.

"They're going wild, Claire."

I swallowed, rubbing my foot against my leg.

"There's no proof that it was one of my dinosaurs."

"Who else _could_ it be? It can't _possibly_ be Moonwatcher, since she's trapped on an island somewhere."

"She could be lying to us," I suggested.

"I don't think she'd kill a _child_ and not tell us."

"A child?!" I gasped.

"Yes, the handprint is too small to belong to an adult."

I batted my eyes.

"Oh. I thought Moonwatcher might have added the handprint to let us know that she's still around, but . . . I dunno. I don't think a child died here."

"You don't think the handprint belongs to the victim?"

"No."

"Does it _smell_ different?"

I scratched behind my frill.

"Um, yes. It does. The blood isn't from a human."

"So where-"

"Tufted deer. It's from a tufted deer. They're native to this island."

He frowned.

"Claire, I know. I worked at Jurassic World for several years, just like you."

I shrugged.

"Some things are _different_ in this world. But I've seen the deer around."

"Ah. Can you sniff out the culprit, then?"

I shook my head quickly.

"The blood is covering every other scent."

Owen narrowed his eyes.

"Claire, if this involves Eli-"

"What?! No! It wasn't _Eli_!" I barked.

"You don't have to protect him, Claire."

I glared at him.

"I think I'd be able to smell gasoline over blood, and besides, Eli can't even _eat_ regular food."

"A raw deer carcass isn't exactly 'regular food', Claire."

"You know what I mean."

I snorted.

"Eli isn't behind this. I _know_ he's not."

"How can you be sure? Are you _positive_ you can trust him?"

"Yes!"

"Then why is the scene of the crime right next to the garage?"

"He only comes here for tune-ups."

"And when was his last tune-up, exactly?"

Suddenly, Eli rounded the corner.

"It ended five minutes ago, actually."

Owen crossed his arms.

"Convenient."

Eli twisted his mouth.

"Truth be told, it was a strain on my schedule, and I was hoping to get through it without hearing you talking behind my back. Why would you even-"

He noticed the bloodstained dirt, and his face fell.

". . . Oh. I see. Look, I didn't do this. I can't even _eat_ animals."

I held out my arms.

"I _told_ him that, but he _refuses_ to listen! And he tried to accuse the dinosaurs, too!"

Eli sighed.

"Don't be such a pain in the ass, Owen."

He turned his head saltily.

"Well, you'd know all about _that_ , wouldn't you?"

My jaw dropped.

"Owen!"

He uncrossed his arms.

"What?"

"You can't _say_ those things!"

"Oh, come on. It's just _Eli_."

I slapped my tail against the ground.

"It's the _principle_ , Owen! Zia told me that no matter how much you dislike someone, you should never, _ever_ attack their sexuality."

"Why not?"

"Because it hurts everyone who shares that feature, not just _them_."

"But-"

"Owen! Just _listen_ to me, okay?"

He looked from me to Eli, and back to me, then stormed off. I sighed with defeat.

"What am I gonna do? . . ."

"He'll figure it out eventually," Eli offered.

"Maybe I should have Zia explain it to him."

"Doesn't she work at Isla Taco now?"

"Only on weekends. But I'm sure she'd be willing to help me out. She had a song prepared, last time."

Eli's eyes widened.

"Oh. I kind of want to know what that was like."

"Feel free to ask her, I guess."

"Nah. She doesn't like me much."

After a long pause, Eli inhaled through his nostrils.

"You know I'm not responsible for this, right? . . ."

"I know."

Eli nodded.

"Alright. I'm sorry you've been dealing with so much, lately. If there's any way I can help . . ."

"Do you think you could watch over the dinosaurs in my place?"

"Sure. They seem to like me well enough, all things considered . . ."

"Yeah."

He smiled warmly.

"Do you know what Blue said the other day?"

"What?"

"I asked her how close she was with Owen, since he went back to the island to rescue her. She said, 'He didn't go because of me. He went because of Claire'. I know life has been better, but don't ever doubt that there are people who love you, even if they show it in funny ways."

I tossed my head gently.

"Yeah, well, those 'funny ways' have a 'way' of _breaking_ me."

Eli nodded sadly, but perked up after a beat.

"Hey, do you think it was _Blue_ who did this?"

"No."

"Well, if it _was_ , can you imagine how Owen would _react_? His own raptor, hah! This must be the weirdest episode of 'Blue's Clues' I've ever seen! Do you think there's more bloody handprints lying around?"

He laughed, but stopped when he saw the look on my face.

"I'm sorry. Bad time to make jokes?"

"I know who did this, Eli."

His eyes went wide.

"Who?"

"I can't tell you."

"Alright."

"But I'm concerned."

He tapped his claws together.

". . . Should I be _afraid_ of this killer? . . ."

"No. Definitely not. But something weird is going on."

"Yeah. There's dry blood down there. Unless you meant-"

"The handprint. It wasn't there before. Someone added it after the fact."

"Weird."

"And it's a child's hand."

Eli cocked his head.

"Oh, really? I think I've lost my sense of scale, being a dinosaur and all."

"It's Maisie's."

"Maisie's?" Eli echoed.

"Yes. She put it there. I don't know why, but she rubbed her hand in the blood and pressed it against the wall."

Eli leaned down to examine the handprint.

"Why would she _do_ something like that?"

"I don't know. She might be trying to shift the blame."

"To herself?"

"I don't know. Maybe she was expecting them to go looking for a human."

"So it was a dinosaur who did it?"

"Yes, it was."

"One of ours?"

"No."

"Then wh-"

"I said I couldn't tell you."

He winced.

"Can I at least know _why_? Are you protecting one of your friends? Because you know I wouldn't-"

"Eli."

He nodded.

"Okay. I won't pry."

He turned around slowly, then looked over his shoulder.

"See you later. I hope things improve, but if not, you can always come to me, for what it's worth."

I nodded vacantly.

"I know."

"Bye."

"Bye."

***TSJWFKFEW***

That night, I planned a dinner with Zia and Owen, hoping to clear up the etiquette issue. I could understand why Owen was hesitant to accept Eli, but behaving in this manner was a step too far. On the way to the restaurant, Owen and I crossed paths with the yellow dragon and a winged stegoceratops-looking creature, who emerged from a glowing portal, the other side of which showed a fierce thunderstorm. As the dinosaur shook herself off, the dragon tapped her foot with annoyance.

"I told you not to get your feathers wet! It puts a _terrible_ strain on the poor, underpaid Korean animators!"

The dinosaur rolled her eyes.

"Well, you should have let me leave _before_ the world started collapsing."

"You didn't leave me much time. Anyway, do you feel better now?"

"A little. I think I've stopped blaming myself, anyw-"

She caught sight of us, and froze in her tracks. As she stared at me, I couldn't help but wonder why she looked so familiar. I'd definitely never seen her before. I would have remembered.

After a pause, she came back to life.

"You're . . . You're the _new_ ones."

I nodded uncertainly.

"I don't think we've met. What's your name?"

"Lily," she squeaked.

" _Queen_ Lily," the dragon corrected, "She's the ruler of this world, and of all others."

I scanned the trembling blob of a dinosaur. Somehow, I couldn't picture her as the leader of _any_ world. The dragon noticed her nervous disposition as well, and elbowed her gently.

"Hey. Don't be weird about this. We have closure, don't we?"

She nodded shakily.

"It's just weird seeing them again."

"They _look_ different, don't they?"

" _That's_ not the problem."

Owen cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry if we've caused trouble by coming to your world. We didn't mean to-"

The Queen shook her head.

"No, it's not a problem. I'm glad you and M- Erm, Claire? Do I call you 'Claire'?"

I laughed nervously.

"That's my name . . ."

She gulped.

"Right. Claire. Oh god, that feels weird."

She shook her head.

"Anyway, it was nice seeing you, and . . . bye!"

She waddled away hurriedly. I watched her leave, then looked up at the dragon.

"Did we say something wrong?"

She shook her head.

"I can explain later. Where's Moonwatcher?"

"On an island in the middle of the Pacific eating the remains of Céline Dion."

She clicked her tongue.

"Not surprised. Have a nice evening."

And she flew away without further explanation.

***TSJWFKFEW***

The evening went as planned. Zia lectured Owen about the various reasons why his actions were unacceptable, then moved into a broader discussion about sexuality when he asked, and I quote, "Who's this 'Dorothy' you guys keep talking about?" which was his second worst question, next to, "What's up with you guys and fake lawns? I mean, I'm no fan of astroturf either, but-"

Yeah, it was a long night.

As promised, Zia ended with a song, which I hoped was a concise enough explanation for Owen's taste. Having sat through it before, I took the opportunity to step outside for some fresh air. The sky was almost dark, and the grass felt cool on my feet. It reminded me of my family's cabin, only the air was more humid, and I could hear distant roars. I circled the restaurant a few times before pressing my ear against the wall to check if Zia was still going.

"-So aces can be straight or gay

Or neither, if they feel that way

And everyone belongs here, and it's really, really great

Unless they're straight."

That was only the third verse. I still had time to myself.

I sighed and leaned against the building, sliding backwards onto my rear. I curled my tail around my waist and held it in my paws, playing with the spikes idly. A sharp snap caught my attention. I tapped my toes against the ground. The delicate sound waves bounced back to me, and I saw the silhouette of a tufted deer. Glancing from side to side, I lowered myself to the ground.

I still had time.

Before the deer could so much as shriek, I was upon it. It wasn't used to being prey, so the chase wasn't exceptionally thrilling, but it was enough to get my heart pumping. I took a second to relish the feeling of flesh between my teeth before dropping the corpse. Only then did I notice that I wasn't alone. I looked up in alarm, meeting the gaze of my former enemy.

"Dory, I-"

"You need to stop, Claire."

I bit my lower beak, then stamped my foot.

"Fine talk, coming from _you_! You almost _killed_ me and my friends!"

"And you've come close, too. But we're both better than this. We just need to be given a chance. There are people who love you. Don't lie to them."

My beak quivered.

"But I can't stop these feelings. They're too strong."

"Then express them safely. Don't hide it from the people who are doing their best to support you."

"But if I tell them, they'll leave me."

"Then you must choose between that and living a lie."

I was about to argue with him, but suddenly, the restaurant doors swung open. I licked the blood off my lips, and Dory reached down to grab the deer. I assumed he was going to drag it away, but instead, he shook it back and forth. Confused, I took a step back.

"Claire!"

I jumped at the sound of Owen's voice. Wheeling around, I trembled like a leaf.

"O-Owen! I was-"

Dory shoved me to the side.

"There's no use hiding it. He knows. Send me away to Sorna with the wild dinosaurs. That's where I belong."

Dory held my gaze, and for a moment, I was sure that I couldn't let him take the fall. But that was exactly what happened.

"I'm sorry. I've failed you."

And I meant it.

Dory shook his head.

"It's not your fault. But it's up to you to stop this from happening again."

I nodded, tears stinging at my eyes.

"I understand."

I looked over my shoulder, then lowered my head and closed my eyes.

"You'll be sent out tomorrow morning on the first boat to Sorna."

I had done a lot of shitty things lately, but that was probably the worst. I tried to tell myself that it was fine, because Dory had sacrificed himself for me, but I knew that this was my fault to begin with, and nothing would change that, no matter how much I tried to justify the details. I slunk home with Owen by my side. As we made our way to the hotel room, I paused by Maisie's door.

"I'm gonna say goodnight. You go on ahead."

"She's probably asleep."

"I don't think so."

Owen shrugged and moved away from me. I opened the door, and sure enough, Maisie was sitting on her bed. She looked up at me with tired eyes.

"Did he find out?"

It took all of my strength to stop myself from crying.

"No, he didn't find out."

I limped towards her, then sat on the floor by her feet. She knelt beside me.

"Did I do good?"

I shut my eyes tight, and a single tear squeezed its way out.

"Maisie, I've done a terrible thing."

"It was just a deer."

"I _lied_. I lied to you, and I lied to Owen, and-"

"I can keep your secret."

I covered my face.

"No, Maisie, I have to tell him."

"No! I don't want him to send you away!"

I wiped my eyes and gave her a hug.

"Maisie, I promise, no matter what happens, I won't leave you. We'll never be apart. Never."

She squeezed my neck.

"I'm afraid . . ."

I wished I had the strength to lie one more time, but I wasn't so fortunate.

"Me too."

***TSJWFKFEW***

After a sleepless night, I wandered down to the docks to bid my double goodbye. I tried to talk him out of leaving, but he said that it was too late, but we would keep in touch. It was strange to feel so torn up about the departure of a creature who had once been my worst enemy, but I suppose after what happened with Eli, I was building up a tolerance for that kind of thing. Maybe people like us were more common than we thought. Maybe we just needed a chance to be good. And maybe the only reason we didn't believe we _had_ that chance was because we felt so alone . . . but we _weren't_. We had each other.

I felt sick to my stomach watching Dory sail away, but part of me was hopeful that he'd be happy on Sorna. The island was populated with far fewer of his past victims, at least.

Even though I was feeling under the weather, I managed to attend my training session in the afternoon. Owen went through the usual exercises, and repeating those same patterns was like sleepwalking to me. I grew more and more tired, wearing down like a rock being beaten by the waves, and I could tell that I wouldn't make it through the day, so I stood very still. Owen walked up to me with concern.

"Claire?"

"I'm not feeling well."

"That's okay. We can pick up tomorrow."

I grabbed my head as it started throbbing.

"I can't come back tomorrow, either."

He backed away.

"Take as much time as you need. When you're feeling better, we can try again."

"I don't want to."

"Claire, you just agreed to start training again, and if you ever want to be cured-"

"I DON'T!"

I was just as surprised by my outburst as Owen was, but I kept going.

"I'm a _dinosaur_! And if you can't _accept_ that, it's _your_ problem, not _mine_."

Owen's face hardened. He nodded slowly.

"Fine, Claire. You want to be a dinosaur? Go ahead. But don't forget what that means."

He marched over to the wall and unlatched the gun. He took aim with one arm. The laser fell on Maisie, who was watching from the catwalk. My heart thumped in my chest.

"Owen, d-"

 _BREEBREEBREEBREEBREE!_

In an instant, I was snarling and snapping at Maisie, though she was way too high for me to reach. She stumbled backwards, then scampered away, screaming through tears. I followed her all the way to the end, and when she was out of sight, I tried climbing the wall. Eventually, the desire to pursue my target wore off, and I fell to the ground, huffing with exhaustion. I turned to glare at Owen.

"How _dare_ you-"

"I'm just reminding you why we need to fix-"

"There _is_ no 'we'. We're through!"

He scoffed.

"Claire, don't be-"

I swiped my tail against his legs, knocking him to the ground.

"Shut up! I _hate_ you!"

He stood up, brushing himself off.

"Yeah, well . . . The Claire I knew died in that car crash, and I'm done trying to save her. I shouldn't have wasted my time on you in the first place."

"No, you _shouldn't_ have."

I could have said more, but I didn't. Instead, I marched out of the pen, slamming my paw against the button as I left. On the way out, I noticed Maisie shivering against the outer wall, and took a step towards her. When she crawled away from me in panic, I faltered, and instead ran into the field, far from that awful, awful place. As I made my way down the road, I passed a gas station. Eli was just pulling out, and rolled up to me with worry.

"Claire? What's going on?"

"Leave me alone!" I screamed through tears.

"Claire!"

"Go away!"

He fell back, letting me charge through the jungle. I could feel him watching me as I left. I didn't stop for him, or for anybody. I raced past Franklin, Perry, and god know who else on my way to nowhere. I finally had to stop when I reached the beach. I skidded to a halt in the wet sand, staring out to where the water met the sky. Slowly, I became aware of the crash of the waves, and the feeling of wet sand on my feet. I looked down, then shifted one of my paws. It left claw-marks in the sand. The tide washed my footprint away. I stepped in the same place, making another indentation, which also disappeared. I continued to do this again and again. Every time, the shape was the same. I knelt down and pressed my forehead against the sand.

I wept with relief.


	17. Perry's Misguided Pratt-Lust

"Maisie, please!"

I was getting fed up. I hadn't seen Maisie since the incident at the paddock, and I had a feeling that she was keeping up her silence out of spite, more than anything. But it wasn't my _fault_! _Owen_ was the one who pulled the trigger. I couldn't _help_ chasing after her like that! It was in my nature.

I scratched at her door again.

"Maisie, you _know_ I'd never hurt you!"

"How do I know that for sure? How can I be _positive_ that you aren't trying to hunt me down?"

That was the first thing I'd heard her say until now. I stopped scratching the door and instead tried to reach underneath it.

"Maisie, I'm not trying to- OW!"

I pulled my paw back when she stomped on my fingers. Shaking away the pain, I growled with displeasure.

"Maisie! Come on! I'm your _mother_!"

"You tried to EAT me!"

"No, I didn't!"

"GO AWAY, CLAIRE!"

My quills flattened against my neck. Beak quivering, I retreated.

"Okay, Maisie, I'll leave you alone."

Fifteen minutes later, I was climbing through her window.

"AH!"

"Maisie, it's just me!" I pleaded.

She screamed and started throwing toys at me. I tossed my head.

"Maisie, it's just your Mommy. I wouldn't hurt y- _Maisie, put the bat down!_ "

She held the baseball bat in a defensive position.

"Stay back!"

"I'm not an _animal_ , Maisie! Please, just-"

I couldn't help letting out a pained whimper when she clobbered my snout. I rubbed my muzzle and backed up clumsily.

"Maisie . . ."

"Not another step! I'm warning you!"

My face pulled into a frown. I whipped my head around and grabbed the bat between my teeth, yanking it out of her hands. She shrieked and flung herself onto her bed, covering her face with the comforter. I stepped up cautiously, paws sinking into the soft mattress.

"Maisie . . ."

She squeaked as I tugged on the sheets with my claws. I leaned down to nuzzle her.

"Maisie, I lo-"

I stumbled backwards in surprise as a sharp pain zipped across my snout. I reached up and felt blood trickling down my beak. Maisie was holding a knife. She looked just as surprised as me that she'd used it.

"Maisie, where did you _get_ that?!"

"Owen."

"He gave you a _knife_?!"

"I took it from him."

I wiped my snout. The cut wasn't very deep, but it still hurt.

"Maisie, I need you to give it back to him. You could hurt yourself."

"I don't feel safe."

"Maisie, nothing's going to happen to you while _I'm_ around."

"I don't feel safe around _you_."

Oh, no . . .

I turned away as tears pricked at my eyes. Nodding slowly, I stepped down from the bed.

"O-okay, Maisie. I'll leave. I won't bother you anymore."

As I crawled towards the window, Maisie sprinted forward and grabbed my paw.

"Claire, wait."

I churred sadly. Maisie knelt beside me.

"I know you didn't mean it. But I'm still scared. Scared of the gun. As long as you listen to the gun, no one is safe."

"Then we'll get rid of the gun."

She shook her head.

"Someone will figure out how to use you, just like Eli did back at the cliffs. I won't feel safe unless you find a way to stop yourself."

I nodded slowly.

"Maybe . . . Maybe Owen could keep training me. He'll show me the way."

Awkward though continued training may be, given our recent break-up, I was running out of options. And it would give me a chance to be around Owen, in case-

(NO. I can't throw myself into that mess again. We're DONE.)

Maisie stroked the side of my neck.

"I'm afraid."

I shut my eyes.

"Maisie, I will never, _ever_ hurt you. You're my daughter, and I love you. I'm going to beat this thing, I promise. Nothing will stand between us. Not a gun, not a person, not _anything_. We'll be a family again, just like we were _supposed_ to be."

"And what about Owen?"

 _Oh, shit._

"Owen . . . he'll be there, too," I improvised.

"What's going to happen, now that you're not together anymore?"

I let out a pained sigh.

". . . I don't know, sweetheart. I don't know."

After a pause, I sighed.

"It's past your bedtime. You should get some sleep. Iris is taking you to the zoo, tomorrow morning. Then you have your swimming lesson, and-"

"I'd rather be with _you_."

I smiled sadly.

"I need to do my exercises. With any luck, I'll learn to ignore the gun by the end of the week."

(Even though I haven't made _any_ progress in the last few months.)

Maisie smiled.

"Okay, Claire. I love you."

"I love you, too."

I tucked her in, and managed to hold back my tears until I was out of the building. I left through the window, growing wings and flying under the light of a full moon. I flapped my arms up and down without much grace or care. I wasn't even paying attention to where I was going. I could barely see through the blur of tears anyway. I'd have to return to the building sometime, though. I was no longer living with Owen, but I was still a resident of the hotel. My room was on a different floor, which made things harder. Of course.

The sound of an engine caught my attention.

"Claire! Hey, Claire!"

Eli was chasing after me. I banked and landed in front of him.

"Eli, what's the matter?"

"I was about to ask the same question. I felt water on my nose, but instead of a raincloud, I saw _you_ flying overhead. What's up?"

I wiped my nose, which was still covered in blood.

"Do you know what it's like to lose the trust of the person who you care about the most?"

"Um, not in the same way _you_ do, probably, but I know that guilt is a bitch to deal with. What happened?"

"I'm supposed to find a way to stop myself from slaughtering anyone the gun tells me to by the end of this week, but it's _impossible_! I just can't _do_ it!"

"Yes, you can," he stated.

"What makes you so sure?" I asked, frowning with suspicion.

"You're Claire Dearing."

Oh, god. My heart was _melting_. I smiled warmly.

"Thank you, Eli."

"Don't mention it. It's just the truth. Now, you get a good night's sleep, and I'm sure you'll have thought of something by tomorrow afternoon. You're still training with Owen, right?"

"I guess so, even though we broke up."

Eli shrugged.

"For now. You two are never apart for long. You were _made_ for each other."

I batted my eyes with confusion.

"Are you saying that to make me feel better, or because you genuinely believe it's true?"

"Both, I guess? . . ."

"Well . . . I might not want to get back with Owen."

"Hm."

"I think we're really done, this time."

"It's up to you. I trust your judgment."

"I'm not sure _I_ do."

"You should start, then."

He yawned.

"Sorry, Claire, but I have to turn in. I really burnt my midnight oil, as it were, and tomorrow is a big day."

"What's tomorrow?"

"I'm going to the car wash, and I'm treating myself to that rainbow foam soap. Just gotta remember to close my eyes, this time."

"I see. Well, goodnight, then."

"Goodnight, Claire, and don't forget: you can do this. It's a mathematical certainty."

I nodded and pattered away.

God, why did I always feel better after talking to Eli?

***TSJWFKFEW***

I was almost late to my training session because of an unexpected encounter with Perry. She still had it in her head that Owen was her true love, and that they were destined to spend the rest of their lives together. Now that we had broken up, it would be even harder to convince her that this was not the case. After trying to talk some sense into her, I finally decided to ask why she believed this to be true in the first place.

"He gave me a whole cabbage, once," she replied.

I guess that's all it takes.

Eventually, I managed to shake her, and quickly greeted my friends outside the ring. I was surprised to see Eli standing not too far away. I cantered up to him with a quizzical frown. He waved.

"Hey, Claire. Is it alright if I watch?"

"Yes, but don't you have a car wash to attend?"

He snorted.

"Naw, I can go anytime. I'd rather show my support here, if that's okay."

I smiled.

" _Of course_ it's okay. Don't get your hopes up, though. I'm not expecting to do well."

"Well, you won't do well with _that_ attitude . . ."

We started drifting towards the entrance. Eli rolled backwards while I circled him playfully.

"Attitude helps, but I'm just being realistic."

"You're being _negative_. Not the same thing."

"Oh, no? It's safer."

"But it doesn't help anyone."

"What if I try extra hard because of it?"

"Then that's good, but if you've already made up your mind that you're going to fail, that's a problem."

"Fair point, but-"

Our improvised dance-walk was interrupted by Owen's arrival. I gulped.

"Oh. I guess I'd better get inside."

"Alright. I believe in you, Claire!"

"Really?"

He laughed.

"Well, I wouldn't have said it if it weren't true . . ."

"What if it _isn't_?"

He smiled encouragingly.

"It is, but there's no pressure. You can try again, if all else fails. But you'll get it."

"You know, saying 'no pressure' just makes the pressure more noticeable."

"But under pressure, coal turns into diamonds."

"That's actually not true, and in _my_ case, I'd be a lump of coal becoming a greener lump of coal that may _eventually_ work its way up to being human again."

"Hey, that's more than most of us get."

He intended his remark to be lighthearted, but I felt a stab of guilt. Eli bit his lip.

"Hey. It's alright. Even if my life isn't perfect, it's a hell of a lot better than before. I have _you_ to thank for that. You've done incredible things, Claire. Don't stop now."

I _wanted_ to believe him, but a part of me wondered if hope was a dangerous sentiment. Eli made me feel good about myself, but was that _really_ the best way to improve? On the other hand, Owen made me feel shitty, and _that_ didn't help much, either.

Well, I soon discovered that my fears were justified. I did alright with the early tests, but the gun tripped me up, as usual. I slammed into the closing pig-door so many times that I lost count. It was _humiliating_ , and I regretted letting my friends watch . . . especially Eli. I must look like a complete loser right now. And here he was, telling me that I was so good and pure and wonderful. I wished I was the person he believed me to be, but there was nothing I could do about my uncontrollable impulses. I might just have to give up on the gun entirely.

And lose Maisie.

Owen approached me as tears started pouring down my cheeks.

"Claire? . . ."

"I'll be fine. I just need a minute."

"Do you want to stop and pick up where we left off tomorrow?"

"No. I'm running out of time. Just give me five minutes."

Eli, who had been watching intently, slowly drove over to where we were standing. He dipped his head over the railing to speak with Owen.

"I have an idea."

Owen threw his arms up in the air.

"Oh, great! He has an _idea_! Tell me, _Eli_ , what's your brilliant plan?"

"Can I come down and show you?"

"Be my guest!"

Owen made his way over to the door, and Eli followed, stepping into the elevator. Soon, he was in the paddock. Owen marched past him.

"Alright, then. What do you have in mind?"

"Point the gun at _me_."

Owen blinked, then held out his palm.

"And then? . . ."

"Pull the trigger."

Owen waited for an elaboration, but none came. He rubbed his forehead.

"You know, if you're trying to get yourself killed, there are easier ways."

"She won't kill me."

"So you're going to _fight_ her?"

"No. She's not going to attack me at all."

"Uh-huh. And you know this because? . . ."

"I just know. Nothing's going to happen."

"I'll be sure to put that on your tombstone."

I reached up to touch Eli's paw.

"This isn't going to work. You weren't _there_ when I went after Maisie. You don't know how strong the urge is."

He shrugged.

"But I know how strong _you_ are, and I'm _sure_ that you can do this."

"Eli-"

"I know I have no right to ask for it, but I need you to trust me, Claire. Considering everything we've been through, I wouldn't blame you for not having faith in me, but I really, really _need_ you to, just this once. Please, Claire. Let me help you."

I shook my head slowly.

"Eli, if I fail, there will be no way to stop me. Even if they tranquilize me, the damage could be severe. I don't want to hurt you."

"And that's why you _won't_."

"Eli-"

"Trust me."

"Eli, this is-"

"Trust me," he repeated.

I looked into his eyes, and knew that I couldn't refuse. But this was a terrible, terrible idea, and he was going to find out the hard way. I lowered my head and slunk away, hoping to give him a decent head start.

"Alright. I'll do it. Owen, get ready."

He frowned with puzzlement.

"Really?"

"Yes," I replied.

He turned to Eli.

"Are you _sure_ about this?"

"Yeah."

God, he said it so _casually_. Didn't he know that I was about to tear him to shreds?

Owen laughed condescendingly.

"You know, just because you have thick skin doesn't mean she won't be able to-"

"Can you skip the warnings and just pull the trigger?"

Owen sighed.

"There's something _deeply_ wrong with you . . . Here goes nothing . . ."

I met Eli's gaze, silently begging him to reconsider. He wouldn't budge.

"Three . . . Two . . ."

Why was he so _calm_?

 _BREEBREEBREEBREEBREE!_

I launched forward, crossing the paddock in a matter of seconds. I spread my paws and prepared to pounce.

(Oh, god! Eli's going to die! I'm about to kill my best friend!)

As I drew near, I noticed how calm Eli looked. _How? Why?_ Didn't he understand that I had failed? I was about to tear his throat out, but there wasn't even a _hint_ of fear drifting up from his figure. It was as though he didn't even _see_ me.

"RAGH!"

I crouched down to launch myself towards his neck, but at the very last second, I jittered to a halt. What was _wrong_ with him? Why wasn't he _running away_?

He held my gaze as I paced back and forth with frustration, snapping my jaws. He didn't so much as flinch. I clawed the ground angrily. Every time I lunged forward, he held his ground. He didn't even look particularly worried. I snarled and turned away, swishing my tail irritably. I made it halfway across the enclosure before I realized what had just come to pass. I lifted my head and turned to stare at Eli. He was smiling.

"Told you."

Mouth agape, I sat down in the sand.

"I . . . I _did_ it."

Owen tried to conceal his surprise.

"It . . . It could have been a fluke."

"So try again," Eli suggested.

Owen turned the gun to Iris and pulled the trigger. I stared at her for a moment, then looked back at him, waiting. He aimed the gun at Franklin, and though I saw him flinch out of the corner of my eye, I didn't even _turn_ , this time. The feeling was _gone_. I had ignored the gun because I knew that it was possible, that I could _do_ it. I had passed the final test.

And it wasn't even that hard, once I figured it out.

Zia was the first to cheer. Franklin joined her. Iris, losing all sense of composure, stamped on the catwalk while bellowing triumphantly. I beamed at them with pride, then turned back to Eli, who was rolling towards me. I _did_ leap on him right then, but it ended in a hug instead of disembowelment. He tensed up at first, surprised that I was holding him so close, but he loosened up eventually and rested his head on my back. When we separated, he squeezed my paw gently.

"You're gonna be just fine, Claire. No matter what happens, you're still _you_. And you're _amazing_."

I smiled, then peeked around him to see if Owen was proud of me too, but he was nowhere to be seen. Eli followed my gaze, then did a quick scan of the paddock.

"He can't have gotten too far. Go on. We'll talk later."

I nuzzled him once more before leaving, then barrelled out the door. I skidded to a stop outside. Owen was kneeling by the wall, disassembling the gun. I chuffed and approached him cautiously.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"That was pretty major, huh?"

He nodded.

"Yeah."

"I'm surprised it worked," I prompted.

"Me too."

I waited. When he didn't continue, I nudged his shoulder.

"Hey."

"What?"

"Isn't there something you'd like to _say_ to me?"

"There are _a lot_ of things I'd like to say to you."

"Like? . . ."

"Congratulations. I'm proud of you."

I cocked my head.

"You don't _sound_ like you're proud . . ."

"I am, Claire. Don't think I'm not. I'm just disappointed in myself, that's all."

"Why?"

He ran his fingers through his hair.

"I've been training you for months, and I thought we were really making progress, but I guess I was going about it the wrong way. I should have listened to you. You were right all along: I really _was_ bad for you."

"Not _always_ . . ."

"But most of the time. And it didn't have to _be_ that way. I thought I was helping you by trying to make you see that you were wrong, but I didn't stop to consider that _I_ was the one to blame. We could have fixed everything, if I had just _listened_ to you."

I pressed my beak against his face.

"It's not too late, Owen. We can still make this work."

He rested his hand on my front horn, but it slipped away as he sighed.

"I don't think I'm ready. After everything I put you through, I don't know if I could live with myself."

I nuzzled him harder, tears stinging at my eyes.

"But now you _understand_. If you just-"

"I'm sorry, Claire, but I'm bad for you. Maybe if we had some time-"

"We _do_ have time. We can take all the time in the world. And you don't _have_ to be bad for me, if you just make an effort to-"

"I'm sorry, Claire, but I _can't_. This whole time, I've been holding you back-"

"Owen, I _love_ you, and I know you love me, too. This doesn't have to be the end. We can still try. I don't want to let go of what we have."

"Neither do I, but we have no choice. Right now, you're growing and changing, and I'm just stuck being the same person I've always been."

"So _don't_ be. You can _choose_ to be better."

He shook his head.

"I've _tried_ , Claire. Every time I start to think about us, about moving forward like this, I can't help but feel this twinge of uncertainty. You deserve someone who loves every part of you, who doesn't doubt their feelings like _I_ do. I'd only be getting in your way if we continued to see each other."

I wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake some sense into him. Here he was going on and on about how he was such a bad person for acting the way he did, and he was right, of course, but how could he not see that the solution was to learn from his mistakes and _improve_ himself? Why didn't he want to put in the _effort_?

Well, I guess whatever his reasons may be, if he didn't think our relationship was worth saving, no good could come from trying to convince him. I swallowed the lump in my throat and lumbered away, tail dragging.

"Goodbye, Owen."

"Goodbye, Claire."

I hate to admit it, but even then, I expected him to rush forward and change his mind at the last minute. Instead, I found myself wandering home alone. As I stared up at the setting sun, I realized that our relationship was truly, honestly over. I hadn't fully accepted it, up until that point, and I felt sick to my stomach, knowing that I was alone.

. . . Well, maybe not _alone_.

"Claire!"

Perry bounded over to me, shaking the ground with each step. She skidded to a stop, and her feet made lines in the dirt.

"Have you seen Owen around?"

"Not since this afternoon."

She lowed with disappointment.

"I was hoping we could watch the sunset together."

I exhaled slowly.

"To be honest, Perry, I don't think he'll want to."

"Why not?"

I gulped.

"He's not in a good mood. We broke up yesterday."

"Really?" she asked with excitement.

"But he's not interested in _you_ , either. He doesn't like dinosaurs."

Her face fell.

"But . . . But we were _destined_ to be together. It's _true love_."

"I don't think there's such a thing, Perry. And if there _is_ , neither of us are destined to be with _Owen_."

Her lower beak quivered, and tears welled up in her eyes. As she started making a broken squeaking noise, I reached out to comfort her, but she bolted away, howling in agony. I decided not to follow her.

Down the path, I started to smell my friends, and I noticed Gunnar's tail poking out of a nearby bush, twitching with anticipation. I smiled, rolling my eyes, and trotted forward.

"SURPRISE!"

I pretended to jump, but my smile was genuine. Zia, Franklin, Gunnar, Iris, and Maisie leapt into view, all wearing party hats (some of them donned one hat per horn). Gunnar skipped up to me, dancing around in a circle.

"Congratulations, Claire! We decided to throw you a surprise party, on account of your graduation . . . or whatever you call it."

I laughed.

"Thanks, you guys. How did you come up with this on such short notice?"

Zia crosses her arms.

"Claire, if there's one thing I know how to do, it's party-planning. And veterinary work, but mostly party-planning."

Suddenly, the top of a nearby cake burst open. Wheatley raised his frosting-covered arms and blew on a noisemaker.

"Surpri- Oh, wait, did I miss it? Damn cake was too soundproof."

Zia blinked.

"Anyway, we were hoping to have dinner at The Steg, but we didn't make a reservation in time. McDino's is open right now, if you wanna go. I heard we're in one of the Happy Meals."

Gunnar bounded up and down excitedly.

"We are! We are! My toy spins around like a top! It's _really_ cool!"

Zia rolled her eyes.

"Oh, please. It's a filler toy. Everyone wants the toys that complete the action set."

"Have you been _collecting_ them, Zia?" I asked.

She pouted.

"NO! . . . _Maybe_ . . ."

I quirked a brow.

"I just wanted my own toy, but they got me hooked!" she whined, "I'm only missing you and Franklin now."

I chuckled.

"Then let's go get me and Franklin."

Zia whooped, then darted down the road. I followed her, but was caught off guard when Maisie climbed up onto my back. She squeezed my neck.

"Owen told me you don't listen to the gun anymore. I'm glad."

"Me too, sweetheart."

"Does this mean you're safe to be around?"

"Absolutely."

For the first time, I was certain that this was the case.

We spent the evening at McDino's, as promised. Zia managed to collect her missing action figures, and we played with a few extras just for fun. Franklin's toy was a doll that jittered when you wound it up. Fairly accurate, I'd say. Mine had a biting action feature, which was decidedly less accurate at present, and thank goodness for that. We were the only ones in the restaurant, so we set up an arena for the spinning toys by sitting on the ground with our legs spread. To Gunnar's delight, his toy was the heaviest, and because of this, won most of the battles. After a few matches, I snuck away to finish my fish-burger. I tapped the wheel of an Eli toy idly while I chewed, making it spin on its poorly-manufactured hinges. I would have to show this to him, sometime. I'm sure he'd get a kick out of it.

As I watched my friends laughing together, I felt a sense of accomplishment welling up inside of me. I had done something impossible today, and that meant nothing else was off the table. If I wanted to live happily as a dinosaur, it could be done, with or without Owen. Maisie still loved me, and she _trusted_ me again, which was the most important thing of all. I still had my daughter, and a handful of really cool friends, so all things considered, I was doing pretty okay. Things were finally looking up, and nothing could ruin-

The door swung open. Moonwatcher jumped into the restaurant.

"I'm ba-ack!"

I slammed my head against the table.

"SON OF A-"


	18. Franklin's Ugly Horse Butt

I continued to bash my head against the table as Moonwatcher shook the rain from her shoulders.

"Nice to see you all again. Hope you've been doing well."

I snarled.

"Better without _you_."

She frowned.

"For your information, during my hiatus, I attained a higher state of being, and my outlook on life has subsequently changed as well."

"But you're still _you_ , Moonwatcher," I pointed out bitterly.

"That's Lady Moonwatcher Dionsbane to you! Anyway, I know we parted on somewhat bad terms, what with me leaving you for dead and all, but that's ancient history."

"Uh-huh. So you changed your name to Lady Moonwatcher . . . uh . . ."

"Dionsbane. Subtitle: Defender of the Jurassic Realms . . . But it's just Lady Moonwatcher Dionsbane, for short."

"How is that _short_?" Zia snapped.

Moonwatcher crossed her arms.

"Quiet, you!"

She pranced across the room, stopping in front of me. I glared at her as she poked my snout.

"How have _you_ been, my shining star?"

I puffed air through my nostrils.

"I dumped Owen."

Moonwatcher's jaw dropped.

"JESUS CHRIST ON A BICYCLE! I'VE GOTTA _FIX_ THIS!"

I flinched as she whipped around and zipped out the doors, which swung loosely behind her. After a brief moment of silence, Zia stood up.

"Well, we're fucked," she grumbled.

I hated to be pessimistic, but I agreed with her on _that_ front. Franklin didn't seem too hopeful either.

"This blows. On the bright side, at least I have an excuse to skip my date."

If my head could have exploded from utter confusion, _this_ would be the breaking point. Talking dinosaurs, I could handle. Dragons and bats, I could handle. But Franklin having a date was about as likely as a flying pig squeezing water from a stone under a blue moon on the twelfth of Never.

Zia noticed my face and laughed.

"While you were away, Gunnar and I arranged a date for Franklin. We decided it was time for him to put himself out there, and hijinks ensued."

"The _real_ hijinks shall occur once his date starts, because part of the deal was that we'd help him out by feeding him information through an earpiece," Gunnar explained.

I sighed deeply.

"This never works in sitcoms, so what makes you think that it'll turn out fine in real life?"

Gunnar beamed.

"Because we have spunk and moxie."

I stared at him.

"Do you guys need me to stop this from turning into a terrible disaster?"

After a beat, they all piped up at once.

"Yeah."

"Maybe."

"Definitely."

I sighed.

"Fine. Tell me your plan, step by step."

***TSJWFKFEW***

"Ooh, ooh! How about if you buy a single flower and place it on her pillow? Do you two have a special flower that represents your love?"

"No," Owen grumbled as he shoved a pile of laundry into his closet.

"Well, then, how about running after her in the rain, and while you're dripping with water, you make this big, romantic speech, and-"

"Moonwatcher, enough!" he barked, "Claire and I are _finished, over, done!_ We're NOT getting back together!"

She narrowed her eyes.

"You say that like it hasn't happened three times already."

Owen grunted.

"Believe what you will. In any case, it's none of your business."

"Actually, a significant portion of my 'business' relies on your ship."

He clenched his fists.

"Moonwatcher, I swear-"

"Do you still love her?"

"Moonwatcher!"

"Do. You. Still. Love. Her."

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"Yes. Always. But that doesn't matter. We're incompatible. We've become different people."

"You were _always_ different people."

"But we were both human."

Moonwatcher rubbed her chin.

"It's so bizarre . . . the _other_ Owen had very little trouble getting used to a saurian relationship. It was mostly Claire's self-loathing that got in the way. According to my calculations, the toxicity in _this_ relationship is caused by your comparatively fragile ego, which has had the result of specifying the source of Claire's internalized hatred, rather than it being a product of nebulous societal pressures."

"Huh?"

"You're a dick to Claire. She's more afraid of _you_ than society at large."

Owen sat down on the bed.

"I didn't mean to hurt her."

"You called her a monster."

"Only because I was afraid of what people would think if they knew that I was in love with a dinosaur."

She twisted her mouth.

"You understand how that's _just_ as bad, right? I mean, if you _truly_ cared about Claire's well-being, you'd have _stood by_ her instead of confirming her worst fears. It should have been you and her against the world, but instead, it was you and the world against _her_."

Owen glowered.

"I wasn't _trying_ to-"

"But you _did_ : that' the problem. If you wanted Claire to be happy, you should have been supportive of her, not _ashamed_."

"I'm not _ashamed_ of Claire!" Owen protested, "It's just the dinosaur-bits that I don't like. And don't you tell me that those are part of the deal, because she wasn't _always_ this way."

"But now you only see her as a dinosaur."

"What? No! Of course not! She's still fierce and confident and-"

"And you destroy those aspects of her every time you cut her down. You may do it to calm your own inhibitions, but in the end, both of you end up hurting. Especially Claire."

Slowly, Owen turned his head.

"Yeah. That's why we can't be together. She's growing and changing, and I'm just . . . stuck."

Moonwatcher rubbed her chin.

"Maybe you just need a push in the right direction. What was the point of divergence between you and the _other_ Owen? What experience taught him humility, dependence, respect . . . OH, I KNOW!"

She darted out of the room and returned with a stick in her hand. Owen crossed his arms.

"What the hell is th-"

He jolted as Moonwatcher flicked the baton, sending a flurry of sparks his way. Suddenly, he dropped to the ground. He hadn't fainted; his feet were still firmly planted, but his head was only a few inches above the floor. He pushed himself up using his arms and rubbed his nose irritably.

"Moonwatcher, I think I've had enough of your practical jokes."

"Oh, it wasn't a practical joke, Owen. It was magic."

He licked his paw and ran it over his face.

"There's no such thing as magic."

"You live on an island populated by dinosaurs."

"That's _science_!" he squeaked, whiskers twitching, "But I don't believe in mystic nonsense."

"Then you might wanna take a look at your reflection."

He rolled his eyes as Moonwatcher pulled a mirror out of her pocket and set it on the floor in front of him.

"What? Do I have something in my- _AAAAAAAAAH!_ "

He shrieked when he saw the reflection of a rat.

"WHAT DID YOU _DO_ TO ME?! WHAT DID YOU _DO?!_ "

Moonwatcher shrugged.

"I turned you into a small rodent. I was aiming for a Jerboa, but this is more fitting, I think."

He patted down his fuzzy face in panic.

"No, no, no, no, no! I can't be a _rat!_ How am I supposed to-"

"Relax. It's only temporary," she assured him, "The spell will wear off at midnight. Until then, I suggest you use this transformation as a learning experience. Why don't you go find Claire? Show her what happened."

He huffed.

"Damn right, I will! I'm going to tell her what you _did_ to me, and she'll-"

"Tear me to shreds? She's not an attack dog, Owen."

He tapped his tiny foot.

"Listen, lady. I _know_ that you can change me back. If that stick of yours can make me a rat, it can make me a human, and I'll bet it can change Claire as well."

Moonwatcher crossed her arms.

"Okay, then. Let's make a deal. If you can convince Claire to help you, I'll turn you _both_ into humans . . . Assuming that's what Claire wants, of course."

Owen's ears drooped.

"Oh . . . I suppose she might not be interested in changing back . . . But if we could make her human without asking first, she'd forget all about the dinosaur stuff, I'm sure."

"It sounds like you're trying to make decisions for her . . . again."

He frowned.

"I'm just doing what's best for her."

"Right, because that worked _so_ well in the past . . ."

He marched towards the door.

"I'll get her to change her mind. You'll see."

He stopped in his tracks, staring up at the doorknob, which was several feet above his reach.

"Um . . ."

Moonwatcher shrugged.

"You'll have to do this on your own."

He shot her a foul look, then wiggled under the door. He stormed down the hall, tail dragging behind him as he fumed.

"I'll show her . . . I'll show _everyone_."

He yelped in fear as he was lifted by the tail. Maisie smiled at him, holding his wriggling body in front of her face.

"Hello, there. I've never seen a rat walk on _two_ legs before . . ."

Owen thrashed around, clawing at the air in desperation.

"Maisie, put me down! I'm not a rat!"

She cocked her head.

"Gee, you sure do squeak a lot. Are you hungry?"

He bared his teeth.

"Maisie! I swear to god . . ."

She cradled him in her arms.

"Let's get you some food."

He lost his balance when she skipped down the hallway. As his ears bobbed up and down, he tried to get her attention.

"Maisie! Listen to me. I. Am. Not. A. Rat."

She stopped skipping and frowned at him.

"You sound sick. Are you dying?"

"No, Maisie, I'm not dying, and-"

"There, there. I'm going to find a nice, warm blanket for you to sleep in."

As she wagged her finger in front of his nose, Owen's lips tightened. Maisie made kissing sounds at him.

"You're so cute! Yes, you- OW!"

She yanked her finger back as he nipped her skin. Shaking away the sting, she glared at him and held him by the tail once more.

"Fine. I'll just feed you to my mom."

Owen's beady eyes bulged with terror.

"MAISIE, NO!"

She ignored his warning, instead making her way towards the restaurant where Claire was date-coaching her friend.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Franklin took a deep breath.

"I can do this. I can be suave. I can charm her."

"Can you count by twos and tie your shoes?" Zia asked flatly.

I glanced into the restaurant, where Franklin's date, a young girl named Lulu, was waiting.

"Alright, Franklin. We're here for you. Just follow our instructions, and you'll be fine."

I scanned him quickly. He was pale and sweaty, not unlike someone who had just eaten a plate of expired clams. Instead of expelling a diarrhoea fountain from his ass, however, I expected him to spew word-vomit. That being said, it was my job to prevent these kinds of incidents from happening, and me being me, I had everything under control. Man, it felt good to be in charge again.

I rested my paws on Franklin's shoulders.

"Are you ready?"

He made a squeaking sound.

"Good," I replied, "Just remember, try not to smile with your teeth showing. I don't think you've mastered the predator look yet."

We had practiced earlier, but Franklin's grin was somewhere between awkward and threatening. I briefly wondered if _I_ was any better, having not checked myself in the mirror, but decided to focus on the task at hand. I nodded confidently.

"Hop to it, Franklin, and remember, if something goes wrong, you can always try again with someone else."

Zia punched him in the arm, and he almost fell to his knees.

"Go get her, tiger!"

He nodded dizzily. Gunnar patted his head.

"You'll be okay, Franklin. I used to be afraid of things too, but there comes a time when you look deep inside yourself, and- You know, maybe we should wipe you down, first."

I dabbed Franklin's face with a napkin. He looked ready to pass out.

"I can't do this."

" _Of course_ you can," I assured him, "You travelled to a dinosaur-infested island, remember?"

"Girls are scarier than dinosaurs."

Zia rolled her eyes.

"Just get in there, you wiener!"

He took a deep breath.

"Okay, okay . . . here I go . . ."

On his first step, he spun around.

"No, no, no, no, n-"

He yelped as Zia pushed him inside. I adjusted my headset as I heard his clumsy hoofbeats approaching the table.

'Lulu . . . hi!'

"Compliment her," I instructed.

'You're looking very . . . uh . . .'

"Radiant. Say 'Radiant'."

'. . . absorbant.'

I slapped my forehead.

"How is that even _close?_ Okay, walk it off. Walk it off, buddy."

Lulu said something in reply, but it was too muffled to make out. I gulped.

"Um, tell her that what she said was neat."

'You sure?' he whispered.

"Yes. Just _do_ it!"

'Wow, that's neat!'

A pause. More muffled speaking.

'No, I didn't mean that your grandmother dying was neat, just- Oh, okay. Yeah.'

Zia rolled her eyes and grabbed the headset.

"Amateurs. Just repeat what I say, Franklin. 'Wow, you're even prettier than I expected'."

'Wow, you're even prettier than I expected.'

"Your profile picture doesn't do you justice."

'Your profile picture doesn't do you justice.'

I snorted.

"Zia, is that _really_ the best you can do?"

She smirked.

"I'll have you know that I'm Isla Nublar's most popular lesbian."

Three guesses what happened next.

In response to Franklin's assertion, Lulu's voice adopted a concerned tone. On our end, we fumbled with the headset, finally passing it to Gunnar. He gulped uncertainly.

"Uh, uh . . . ask her what she wants off the menu."

'What do you want off the menu? . . . Oh, the crab cakes. That's a good choice . . . No, I've never tried them before.'

"Make small talk about the food."

'Do you eat often?'

Gunnar snuffed.

"I think you meant to say 'eat _here_ often'. Try to salvage it."

'I'm only asking because it looks like you eat a lot.'

Gunnar's lips tightened.

"Franklin, what are you _doing?_ . . ."

'What I meant to say was that you must have a lot of experience with dining.'

Gunnar pulled on his eyelids.

"I give up."

We all yelped as Moonwatcher dug her way up from the ground like a rabbit. She tossed her shovel aside and rested her chin on her palm.

"Salutations. Has anyone seen Eli?"

I batted my eyes.

"No, actually. It's weird, but he hasn't been-"

"Not to worry. I'll find him."

Before she could go back down, I caught her by the shoulder.

"Hang on. What do you need him for?"

"Um . . . I'm looking for his medication. He won't be needing it anymore, so I'll be donating it to someone else. Probably a human, since dinosaurs can't get AIDS. I mean, unless Eli somehow passes it on, but I doubt that that will be a problem, since he's cured. I _do_ have a bunch of infected gasoline samples, though. Should probably get rid of those. But first, I must find Eli's pills!"

"Ha! I get it!" Zia honked.

"Yes, and be careful, because Eli kills."

"Do you pay Eli's bills?" Gunnar chuckled.

"I-"

Pushing her back into the hole, I cleared my throat.

"That's enough. Be on your way, Lady Moonwatcher Dionsbane."

"Hey, you got it right!"

"Yup."

"I guess you must not hate me as much as I thought. Not as much as I hate _myself_ , anyway . . . Well, bye, then!"

"Bye."

When she dragged the dirt back into the hole, I sighed.

"Poor Eli."

Zia shrugged.

"At least she's not _our_ problem anymore."

"Yeah, but-"

I sniffed the air, suddenly alert.

"Huh. Maisie's coming."

Right on cue, she stepped out of the jungle, scanning the ground intently.

"Hi, Maisie!" I cooed, "You looking for something?"

"Yes. I got you a present, but I lost it."

"That's okay, Maisie. It's the thought that counts. Where's Owen?"

"No idea."

I crossed my arms.

"Maisie, you know you're not supposed to go out alone."

"I'm safe. It's just dinosaurs, out here."

I nuzzled the top of her head.

"What if you got lost or hurt? No one would know where you were."

She smiled and gave me a hug.

"Okay, Mummy. I won't go out alone anymore."

I licked her cheek.

"Good girl. If you need someone to walk with you, just call a person you trust, like me or my friends. Speaking of which, I guess we'd better see how Franklin's doing . . ."

I opened the door and caught sight of a very upset Lulu, who was probably minutes away from climbing out the bathroom window. Her eyes darted back and forth, searching for an escape route. I took a step towards the table.

Suddenly, Lulu leapt to her feet and shrieked in terror. When Franklin looked down, he shrieked too, only louder and shriller. Something was scampering under the table. Not everyone panicked right away, but a few people nearby were alarmed by the screams. Finally, Franklin managed to squeeze out a single word.

"RAT!"

The chef dashed into the dining area.

"It must have escaped from the kitchen! Grab it!"

I lowered myself to the ground, quills standing upright.

" _I_ can handle this."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Owen turned around just in time to see Claire crouching behind him. She had that look in her eye. He stepped away from her cautiously, but she sprung forward without warning, and before he could so much as squeak, he was inside her maw. Terror clawed at his tiny heart, and he shrunk into a furry ball. Disgusting as this dark, moist world was, he was more afraid of the fact that Claire hadn't recognized him, that she was going to eat her ex boyfriend without a second thought. Even though they had split up, a part of him still believed that they were meant to be together, so realizing that all this "destiny" stuff was a lie hit him hard. And now he was about to be eaten.

Even though Claire could neither hear nor understand him, he wiggled his nose and whispered, "I'm sorry, Claire. I love you." Tears poured down his cheeks when he realized that he was going to die in the shape of a rat. Nobody would know what had happened to him, and that was probably for the best. He had already fucked up Claire's life so badly that this might damn near destroy her. Or not. It wasn't like he _meant_ anything to her anymore.

Gradually, Owen began to wonder what was taking her so long. He had been sitting on Claire's tongue for longer than he should have been allowed to, given her violent impulses.

Oh, god, was she _tasting_ him?

But then, she opened her mouth, and he felt the scruff of his neck being pinched by two massive claws. They were just outside the restaurant. Claire set him down on a stone fence.

"There you go. You're free now."

Owen looked up at her, whiskers twitching.

"You didn't eat me . . ."

She laughed.

"What're you doing, staring at me like that? Gosh, natural selection must be taking a day off."

Owen's lip quivered.

"I really need to stop doubting you . . ."

She frowned and waved her paw at him.

"Go on. Shoo!"

He crawled towards her extended finger.

"Claire, I've made a terrible mistake. All this time, I thought you had to _need_ me for us to be in love, but you loved me even when I was useless to you, and I took that for granted."

She rolled her eyes and turned away.

"Fine. I hope a hawk grabs you."

Owen shrieked with fear.

"Wait! Don't go! Claire, I need you to understand!"

He charged after her, but her stride was far wider than his, and he had difficulty keeping up.

"Claire, I love you! I've _always_ loved you! I was _wrong_! If loving you means loving you as a dinosaur, I'll _do_ that! I was afraid that people would look down on me, but as long as I have _you_ , I don't _care_ what anyone else thinks! And I'm not ashamed, Claire, I'm not! You're the _greatest_ thing that's ever happened to me, and being a dinosaur doesn't change that! I'd be proud to call you my-"

He grunted as she kicked him away. He made a desperate dash for her leg.

"Claire! Please, _listen_ to me! I know I've done wrong by you, but-"

He choked as she yanked him off her heel forcefully.

"Get away from me, you lousy vermin!"

"Claire, no!"

She threw him into the trees. When he hit the ground, he saw a flash of red. Through doubled vision, he could see her turning to leave.

"No . . . Don't go . . ."

He wobbled to his feet, then staggered forward on aching limbs. He was losing her. He hobbled through the grass desperately.

"CLAIRE! I LOVE YOU! . . . CLAIRE!"

He yelped as a hand lifted him off the ground. Moonwatcher set him down on her palm.

"How's your day going?"

"I need to catch up with Claire before it's too late!"

She clicked her tongue.

"I see. How are you going to communicate with her when you're a rat?"

"I . . . I don't know. I'll find a way."

"Maybe you should write her a note."

"Yes! That's _perfect_! Can you write down what I say?"

She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket.

"Sure thing."

Owen cleared his throat.

"Dear Claire, I'm really, really, _really_ sorry . . . um . . . I love you . . . Let's talk later . . . Signed, Owen."

Moonwatcher frowned.

"I think you can do better than _that_."

Owen took a deep breath.

"Claire, you're the person who matters the most to me. Always have been. I know I screwed up, and I really don't deserve another chance, but if you'll take me back, I promise to be everything I _should_ have been from the start. You're not a monster. You're kind, beautiful, and perfect in every way. I love you. Signed, Owen."

Moonwatcher finished writing the letter and handed the paper to Owen.

"Here you go."

When she set him on the ground, he glared at her.

"Can't you give me a ride?"

"Naw, I don't want to interfere. Good luck, though."

He sighed, taking the paper in his mouth, and bounded through the damp grass. Moonwatcher looked down at her watch.

"Perfect."

***TSJWFKFEW***

On the way back to the hotel, I crossed paths with Eli. Actually, he seemed to be in the process of seeking me out. I smiled when I saw the bouquet of tropical flowers that rested on one of his arms.

"Hi, there!" I twittered.

He swallowed, throat wobbling.

"Hey. I got you some flowers."

"What for?"

"For your performance in the paddock, the other day. I realized that I never properly congratulated you, and I thought . . . Gosh, it seems silly now, but-"

I took the bouquet and inhaled its scent.

"This was really nice of you, Eli."

"Oh, it's the least I could do. After all, _you're_ the one who- AH!"

He stumbled backwards as that same rat zipped between his wheels. I shook my leg when it latched onto me.

"Not _you_ again!"

The rat tried to drop a piece of paper in my paw.

"I don't want your garbage!" I snapped, "Shoo!"

It stuck the paper between my toes. I picked it up and marched to an alleyway near the grocery store, preparing to toss it into a recycling bin. The rat scurried up my back and grabbed the paper as it fell. I caught it between two fingers and crumpled it up, tossing it far away.

"Fetch."

The rat did not leave. When it continued to squeak insistently, I grabbed it by the tail and shoved it into an empty box. I could hear desperate scuttering coming from inside. I placed both hands on the lid to keep it from escaping. Lumbering back to Eli with the box in hand, I sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry about that. I have a pest problem."

He laughed.

"I guess Maisie's getting a fancy rat."

"Yeah."

He quirked a brow.

"Were you planning to have a snack, later?"

I laughed.

"Okay, you caught me. But in all fairness, rats are high in protein."

"Hey, I won't judge."

We beamed at each other. I scuffed my claws shyly.

"I guess I'd better be going now. Thanks for the flowers, Eli."

He chuckled warmly.

"No problem. I just hope it wasn't too weird. Seems more like a dance recital thing, instead of . . . whatever you were doing."

I shook the rat until it shut up, then bit my beak, smiling.

"You know, people only seem to bring each other flowers when they're in a relationship . . . or _looking_ for one."

After a pause, Eli scratched his neck.

"About that . . ."

. . .

I said yes, of course.

***TSJWFKFEW***

The rat, who had gone quiet after my conversation with Eli, was sitting in the corner of the box when I opened it. I thought it might have peed, because the cardboard surrounding its body was dark and wet, but its eyes seemed to be watering. I lifted it up by the waist.

"Do you have an eye infection, little guy?"

The rat did not answer, instead choosing to remain absolutely still as it stared at me. I cocked my head.

"I was considering giving you to Maisie like Eli said, but I guess I could still eat you, as long as Owen doesn't see me."

I guess rats must not be smart animals, because it didn't struggle as I held it in front of my open beak. After a pause, I lifted it away.

"No, you know what? I'm in a good mood, and I don't need to comfort eat. This is your lucky day, little guy!"

I set the rat down on the ground, and it didn't move a muscle. I leaned down to get a better look.

"Gosh, you really _are_ sick."

Slowly, it turned to face me. It reached out and placed a paw on my beak.

"Not too _wise_ , either."

It leaned forward and pressed its snout against mine. I might have been imagining things, but I thought I could feel fuzzy lips. It pulled away slowly, ears drooping. I watched it wander into the night.

"I hope you don't get snatched up by some predator. You're safe with me, at least. I won't hurt you."

Its pink tail slipped into the grass, and I never saw that rat again.

***TSJWFKFEW***

As the poor rat slunk down an abandoned path, he passed Franklin, who had given up on chasing after his date. She was obviously not interested in a relationship, or she'd have tried to contact him by now. Since his eyes were turned low, he noticed Owen right away, and promptly kicked him to the side.

"This is all YOUR fault!"

He skittered away.

"Yeah, you'd _better_ run!"

Franklin heard a loud sobbing sound coming from a dark alley, and mustering all of his courage, went to investigate. He saw a large Sinoceratops holding a note in her front feet.

"Perry?"

"HE STILL LOVES HER!" she blubbered, "OWEN WANTS CLAIRE, NOT _ME_! I'M SO ALONE!"

Franklin's lip quivered.

"Me too. I called my date fat, and she got mad at me."

Perry wiped her nose.

"Well, that's silly. Being well-fed is one of the most attractive features in a mate."

"I guess you're pretty popular, then, huh?"

She sniffled.

"That's sweet of you to say, but I'm afraid that I'm not as attractive as you _think_ I am. _Nobody_ wants me. I don't know what it is, but people just don't seem to _like_ me."

"I know the feeling."

"Maybe it's because we're both Sinoceratopses."

Franklin looked down at his feathers.

"Uh . . ."

"Partly, anyway. You're close enough for me."

After a pause, Franklin started crying. Perry wrapped her arms around him. He sniffled.

"I try so hard to be brave, but it's _impossible_! My friends keep helping me out because they can't see that I'm a lost cause. I disappoint them over and over, but they're always there for me, and I can't do the same for them, because I'm not brave enough to be a decent friend."

"Courage isn't the most important part of friendship."

"That's easy for _you_ to say! You're a big, fat dinosaur!"

"Thank you."

"You have literally _nothing_ to be afraid of. I'm small and meek and terrified of _everything_."

"You're not afraid of _me_ . . ."

"YES, I AM!"

He wept into her arm. She sniffled, then started weeping too.

"I gu-guess some people are j-just meant to be alone."

Franklin nodded, wailing in agony.

"I HAVE AN UGLY HORSE-BUTT!"

They both shrieked as Moonwatcher burst from a garbage can.

"That you do, Franklin, but not to worry! Unless you're the monkey from Indiana Jones, there's no reason to be upset about bad dates."

He frowned.

"Easy for _you_ to say! You can't even have sex!"

"Yes, but it's not as hard as it seems," she asserted, eye twitching, "So listen, if you need a good cry, don't be afraid to let it out."

"I _wasn't_ , until I had reason to expect people lurking in garbage cans, randomly."

"What can I say? It's where I belong," she quipped, "And on that note, I timed this evening perfectly. Went off without a hitch."

"Good for you," Franklin replied flatly.

Moonwatcher mussed his hair.

"There, there. Something good is coming for you, I promise. And _Claire's_ not doing so bad either."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Indeed, Claire was giddy with glee, rolling around on her bed like a lovestruck teenager. She had promised herself that she wouldn't call Eli until the next day, but she couldn't help it. She dialled his room number, twirling the phone cord around her claw, and wagged her tail with excitement when he picked up.

'Hello?'

"Hi, Eli."

'Claire, what are you doing up? It's almost midnight!'

She giggled.

"I just wanted to talk to you. If it's too late, we can-"

'No, no. It's not too late. I will _always_ make time for you, Claire.'

She grinned.

"This is so exciting!"

'I know! I was afraid you'd say no, but-'

"Eli, I've been ready for this for a long, long time."

'I kind of figured, but I wanted to be sure. I'm so glad we're finally doing this. It just feels _right_ , you know? _'_

" _Exactly!_ You're so great, Eli."

'Aw, thanks. You're even better.'

"So I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

'Yep. Six o'clock.'

"Six o'clock."

'I can hardly wait.'

"Me neither."

Claire kicked her feet in the air idly.

"Eli?"

'Yeah?'

"I was wondering if we could swap rooms."

'Ah, right. My room's closer to Maisie's. Do you wanna switch right now?'

"I mean, I'd love to see you again, but I don't want to rush things . . ."

'Ah, well in that case, I'll skip my follow-up question.'

She bit her beak with excitement.

"Were you going to ask me to move in with you?"

'Only if it seemed like you wanted to.'

"I'm there. Just give me a few minutes."

She hung up, gathered what few belongings she had, and sprinted down the hall. She danced back and forth on her feet as the elevator began its climb. When the doors hissed open, she made a sharp turn, but nearly bumped into Owen, who was coming from the other elevator. He wasn't looking well. Claire gulped.

"Owen, hi . . ."

He said nothing. Claire's quills bristled.

"Is something wrong?"

After a long silence, he shook his head and began walking to his room. Claire considered following him, but decided against it. Instead, she sped down the hall towards Eli's room, and flung her arms around his neck as he emerged. She hung from his body, purring with delight, and he revved his engine in reply.

Down the hall, Maisie pressed her ear against the wall and fell back with concern, hugging her knees.

She had never heard Owen sob like that before.


	19. Robert's Stunning Glow-Up

"CLAIRE! OH GOD, STAY AWAKE!"

I went limp as Eli approached the hospital with my body draped over his back. He lifted my head onto his, weeping with panic.

"Claire, please don't leave me . . ."

I tried to reach out with a shaky hand, but a wave of nausea made me reconsider. Eli burst through the hospital doors, dropping me onto a cot, where I was rushed to the emergency room. He sped by my side, tears streaming down his cheeks. I reached for his paw. We were separated by closing doors.

"Wait! I have to see her! This is my fault! Let me in! LET ME IN!"

"Eli . . ." I choked.

Suddenly, Moonwatcher was standing over me with a giant hose.

"Try to relax, okay?"

***TSJWFKFEW***

Let me back up for a bit.

My life with Eli was _beautiful_. I wasn't even that surprised, given our recent interactions, but being in an actual _relationship_ with him was _so_ much better. I have many fond memories, starting with that time we got caught in the rain. We screamed and ran for cover as the water poured down, laughing between shrieks. I draped my bat-wings over his head like an umbrella as we sped under a plant with heart-shaped leaves, and he licked the rainwater from my back until I was warm again. We watched the rain drench a misty field, leaning against each other happily, warm and relatively dry.

And then there was our first Christmas together. We walked through the snow, Eli adorned with a fancy scarf, me wearing a weirdly-shaped hat, and we kissed under a streetlamp crowned with holly, eyelashes speckled with snowflakes. We found mistletoe later on, and took the opportunity to kiss again. Of course, things took a turn when he got stuck in a snowdrift and stalled, but I accompanied him to the repair shop as he was towed away by the lip, then spent the remainder of the evening feeding him warm gasoline as he shivered under a blanket.

Oh, gosh, and way back on our first date, Eli showed up wearing a bowtie. He told me that he wanted to be fancy, and a wax didn't seem like enough, but now that he thought about it, a bowtie seemed kind of frivolous, but he couldn't wear a suit as a dinosaur, and a tie was way too formal, and- Well, I forget the rest of it, because I was leaning in to kiss him. I told him that it was fine, and I appreciated the effort.

Generally, the two of us got along. It was like we were _made_ for each other, like we were meant to be . . . stuff like that. We had the same sense of humour, similar upbringings, and we were identical in many regards, as I'm sure you've noticed.

One area where we differed, however, was in our anatomy.

On a cold and misty night, as we kissed each other hungrily in our hotel room, I got a bit too feisty with Eli, and he pushed my wrist away gently.

"Wait."

My heart sunk. I was hoping to avoid The Talk for as long as possible, but my hormones did not agree with my hesitance. I would have _loved_ to sleep with Eli- _Oh, god, would I have loved it_ \- but a voice in my head kept echoing, "meat grinder . . . meat grinder . . . meat grinder . . ."

I gulped and withdrew my paw.

"I'm sorry, Eli."

"No, it's okay, but we need to have a little talk, first."

I bowed my head with shame.

"It's about our anatomy, isn't it?"

He nodded.

"I know you're excited, and I hate to let you down, but-"

I bit my beak.

"It's okay, Eli. I knew this day was coming. I'm just sorry I'm not built to do this normally."

After a beat, he cocked his head, frowning.

"Um, we might be talking about different things."

"You're referring to my . . . _lower areas_ , right?"

He shook his head.

"Actually, I was kind of talking about . . . _mine_."

Well, at least I knew the fear I smelled on him wasn't because of my screwhole.

He took a deep breath.

"Claire, you know how I'm part car? . . ."

Quick lesson in mechanics. In order to move, cars need to shift forces from one part to another. The driveshaft is a long, aluminium rod that transfers torque from the gearbox to the wheels, allowing the car to roll on its own. The Chrysler Town & Country has been designed with all-wheel drive since 2004, meaning it would require two driveshafts in its build. Eli, being part dinosaur, only had two wheels, and thus had no use for a front-wheel driveshaft.

Well, _almost_ no use.

See, when he changed into an autosaur, his anatomy went through a radical shift, and we had only _just_ started to understand how he worked. I mean, his design shouldn't have been _possible_ , even, but there he was: the _weirdest_ miracle of nature, and-

. . . Look, his dick was a driveshaft, is what I'm getting at.

My jaw dropped as Eli swallowed nervously.

"Yeah, I probably should have told you sooner, but . . . God, I didn't want to ruin this, and I wasn't even sure if you _wanted_ -"

I shut him up with a kiss.

"Eli, whatever's down there, we can find a way. Do you still have feeling?"

"Yes," he breathed.

"Then let's try it."

And "try it", we did. Hardly took us long at all to figure it out, if I'm being honest, and it was one of the most _amazing_ experiences of my life. Having been starved for human touch (" _human_ " touch) for so long, I leapt back into it at full force, and I think Eli felt the same way. It was-

Well, it was _good_ , let's just leave it at that.

But things took a turn near the end. Eli was in the middle of . . . um . . . _finishing_ , and all of a sudden, he looked down, eyes widening, and gasped.

" _Shit_ . . ."

My first thought was that something was wrong with my insides, being designed to accommodate a barbed appendage, according to Moonwatcher, but suddenly, I felt something burning, and realized that hot motor oil was dripping down my legs.

Eli's pupils shrunk, and he pulled back with terror.

"Claire, oh my god, I didn't know that I'd-"

I swayed a little, falling to my elbows. Eli whimpered and helped me to my feet, draping me over the bed.

"No, please, no . . ."

He tried to wipe away the fluid with the comforter, but it was no use. One thing that I had failed to consider was the _actual_ implication of the meat grinder thing.

Quick lesson in anatomy. The female Indoraptor is designed to hold as much seminal fluid as possible, so when male genitalia enters the female's passage, the walls will basically grab on and not let go until the uterus has been sufficiently filled, at which point it will release the genitals and close up entirely. The reason Moonwatcher warned Owen not to get intimate with me was because we'd be stuck on step two, and I _do_ mean stuck, unless he could somehow produce a gallon in one go. Eli, on the other hand, was much larger in stature, and could offer a higher volume of fluid. This wouldn't be a problem, except for the part where he was ejecting toxic materials into a receptacle that was designed to hold it in at all cost.

And _that's_ why we had to rush to the hospital.

Everything after that was a blur. I remember the burning and the tremors and the vomiting, and a shaking paw holding mine throughout the whole ordeal. Moonwatcher was incompetent in many ways, but somehow, she knew how to drain me, painful as it was. I'll leave out the grislier details.

You don't have to personally experience having a hose jammed up your hoo-ha to understand how unpleasant it is.

After passing out, I remember entering a troubled sleep, waking up every once in a while to seizure under Eli's sobbing gaze. He did not leave my side that night, and in fact fell asleep with his head resting on top of me later on. I stroked his snout as my dizziness cleared, and he woke with a gentle snort.

"Claire? . . ."

"It's okay, Eli, I'm doing better."

He sniffled, turning his watering eyes away from me.

"I'm so sorry, Claire . . . I had _no_ idea that this would happen, and- and-"

I licked his cheek as he burst into tears.

"It's okay, Eli. It's okay."

He choked.

"I _hurt_ you, Claire!"

"It was an accident, Eli. I'll be okay. We just need to be more careful, next time."

He laughed bitterly.

"How can there even _be_ a next time, after this? . . ."

I lifted his chin with my claw.

"Because before things went wrong, it was pretty amazing, to be honest."

I held his head in my arms as he gave me a doubtful stare.

"I love you, Eli. Always and forever. What we have is too good to give up over something like this. We'll find a way. You'll see."

We jumped as Moonwatcher leapt out from behind the machine my arm was hooked up to.

"Well, Eli's dingdong is too solid for your ass, so _that's_ off the table, and I wouldn't recommend using a condom, since Claire won't be able to release-"

I pecked her head.

"MOONWATCHER! THIS IS A PRIVATE CONVERSATION!"

She held up her hands.

"Sorry, sorry . . . But you're gonna need my help, sooner or later. I mean, what if Eli passes out on top of you?"

"Why would he do _that_?"

Eli cleared his throat.

"I, uh . . . I sometimes faint when I . . . yeah."

Okay, that was kind of cute.

Moonwatcher flipped through her papers.

"Well, I thought things would be easier without the AIDS and all, but I guess you two have a lot more going on down there. Mouths are usually a safe bet, and Claire doesn't have any front teeth, I'd like to point out, but if Eli gets in too deep, he might- Oh, how do I put this? . . . You know when you stick your tongue out in front of a vacuum cleaner, and-"

I covered her mouth.

"No need to keep going. We get the idea."

Eli scratched his neck.

"Listen, Moonwatcher, can we maybe figure this out on our own? You're not our doctor, and to be honest, I wouldn't trust a doctor with this stuff anyway."

"I'm just trying to help you two out!" she insisted, "It's a tragic thing, not being able to bump uglies."

I narrowed my eyes.

"Please leave."

She snorted.

"Okay, but sign this medical form before you run off, okay?"

I read the document in excruciating detail, just to make sure that we weren't selling our souls or anything (It _was_ Moonwatcher's paper, after all.). After a pause, I scribbled my signature, though it looked quite different, coming from my clumsy, saurian hand. Eli grabbed the pen between his claws, struggling to see where he was writing as he leaned down awkwardly.

"Claire, is this at all legible? . . ." he grunted.

"Eli . . . James . . . Mills. Yeah, I can read it just fine."

We frowned as Moonwatcher snickered with amusement.

"I get it. That's funny."

Eli frowned.

" _What's_ funny, exactly? . . ."

"Deep lore. Normies won't understand the reference."

Just a Moonwatcher thing, I guess.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Our trip to the hospital was extended when Moonwatcher convinced us to get vaccinations as a preventative measure, now that we were having sex. I had to endure a prick for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, tetanus . . . the usual. We walked home in a light fog, spirits low. I gulped and looked up at Eli.

"Our reproductive organs are dangerous when combined. I guess we're at an impasse."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"It was still nice."

He smiled briefly before falling into gloom once more.

"Yeah, I really enjoyed myself. But now I can't stop thinking about how much I hurt you."

"It wasn't as bad as you think."

"But I shouldn't have hurt you at all. I wasn't thinking. I was so happy to finally be . . . I should have known that I'd screw things up."

"You didn't screw up. It was beyond your control."

"But I should have prepared myself for the worst, with this nightmare of a body."

"Your body isn't a nightmare."

He tossed his head.

"Oh, come on, Claire! I'm big, heavy, bumpy from head to toe, and I don't even have decent arms! I'd give _anything_ for the chance to hold you properly, to be the man you deserve, but-"

I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my heels on his back, hanging from his chest like a monkey. His eyes darted around uncertainly.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting close to you."

"Why?"

"So you can hold me."

He bit his lip.

"I'm sorry it's so hard for us to be together."

I laughed.

"It's the easiest thing in the world, Eli! You're so _perfect_ , and-"

"I'm not at all perfect, Claire."

I kissed him.

"But I love you all the same. Let's forget about the accident and focus on something else," I suggested, slipping down from his chest, "It's going to be a busy week. I'm supposed to keep tabs on the new dinosaurs, according to Moonwatcher. It's been a while since I checked up on them. Some of them, I haven't seen since the Titanosaur sunk. I'm not even sure who all survived, with the exception of Dory and the like. Should probably check up on him, too, come to think of it."

"Uh-huh."

"You don't seem too excited."

"Yeah, well, I was attacked by one of those dinosaurs- _Two_ , I guess- and I don't really feel comfortable being around them."

"But I could use your help. There's a rex among them, and-"

"Not the one that _ate_ me, I hope."

After a pause, his eyes went wide.

" _Is_ it the one that ate me?"

"I don't think so. Ours was a girl."

"So where did this second rex come from?" he asked.

I shrugged.

"Don't know, don't care. This world is impossible to understand, so why even bother?"

Eli closed his eyes.

"Claire, if you need my help, I'll come with you, but you're just as Rex-ish as _I_ am, so I wouldn't be of much use to you."

I laced my fingers between his claws.

"I'd like you to come for emotional support. I'm no good at this, and maybe you're not either, but I feel better when I have you by my side."

He nodded, sighing with defeat.

"Okay, Claire. I'll come with you."

I licked his cheek.

"Thank you. We can comb the island tomorrow."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Indeed, Claire and Eli ran into a familiar face on the northern coast the next day. A huge, scarred tyrannosaur looked up from a beach towel, revealing a head adorned with curved goat horns and a neck enshrouded by a lion's mane.

"Hey, I saw you on the Titanosaur, right?" Claire asked, "You must be from _my_ world."

"Yeah, seems like we keep running into each other on prison ships," the tyrannosaur answered sardonically.

Claire suddenly realized where she knew this tyrannosaur from- not that it was a hard guess, since it was the only one of its kind, as far as she knew. The animal-parts had initially thrown her off, but looking past those features, she had no doubt who she was speaking to. She was about to comment on this bizarre reunion when a look of concern came over Eli's face.

" _You're_ the rex that-"

Claire elbowed him.

"Um, the one from Lockwood's estate," Eli finished.

The tyrannosaur looked indifferent.

"Yup. Sorry for destroying your entire upper torso, but your people kept electrocuting me, so it was kind of deserved. I see you're fine now. Better, actually. Ditched those scrawny human-parts for a decent figure. You didn't make a very good meal, by the way."

Eli wasn't sure how to respond, but luckily Claire intervened.

"You're Rexy, right? We knew each other at the park . . . sort of."

The tyrannosaur snuffed.

"They called me 'Rexy?' That's disappointing. Could've come up with something better, if they'd tried. It's not like I _need_ a name, but I ought to have been called something more dignified."

"Well- they _did_ call the rex 'Roberta' in this world," Claire said, hoping the crotchety tyrannosaur would prefer this name instead, "Maybe that version of you is still around somewhere. I think she was nicknamed Buttercup, but legally, she was called-"

"'Roberta,' is that right? It's a _bit_ better, anyway. I guess I can go by 'Robert' now."

Eli cocked his head.

"You're _male?_ They told me otherwise during the, uh, the _operation_ on Nublar. I guess the, um, the _mane_ should've tipped me off."

Robert sighed with exasperation.

"I _was_ presenting as female back then, but now I'm male, part goat, part lion, and who knows what else. Moonwatcher said there might've been frogs involved. Apparently, I won't be turning green because I'm too old to be making any hormones, but to be honest, I'm _also_ too old to be giving much of a shit anymore."

"You seem . . . well, very _accepting_ of all this change," Eli remarked, "Most old people are, uh . . ."

"The raptors and dilos did this decades ago; it's old news," Robert snapped, "Claire, could you tell your boyfriend that it's rude to assign stereotypes to the elderly? I think he has something against old men."

A pair of sinoceratops looked up from a few paces down the beach.

"Aw, are people harassing you about being old and protogynous again?"

Claire recognized that one as Perry; the other looked like her sister, or perhaps her mother. It was hard to tell age in such a wrinkly species, and it was probably rude to assume that they were related in the first place, but she distantly remembered Perry mentioning a sibling. A buff carnotaur stood next to them.

"Hey, you! Stop harassing him about being old and protogynous!"

The second sinoceratops, this one missing her front horn and standing close to the carnotaur, piped up.

"It's okay to change! I had the same thing happen to me when I became a pachyrhinosaur!"

Eli and Claire exchanged a confused look, but Robert just huffed.

"My genitals _literally_ disintegrated and regrew as a dick, but fine."

"Yeah, that's not the same," a random segisaurus contributed without being asked, "You just had your horn cut off. It's cosmetic surgery; it doesn't change your DNA."

Claire raised a paw.

"Actually, Moonwatcher says that Elkay changed the-"

"Changing sex is a totally normal and natural thing that happens all the time, but changing _species_ is totally different, and unnatural, and weird," the segi continued, "There are a _few_ exceptions, but for the most part, it definitely _never_ happens."

"That . . . happened to almost _everyone_ , actually," Eli mumbled, "Changing DNA must be a lot easier here than in our own world, so who's to say that amputation couldn't cause-"

"Like I said: unnatural and weird."

Perry's sister frowned.

"You know, if you remove other animals' parts, their biology can change significantly, so why would I _not_ be a pachyrhinosaur, if that's how I feel?"

"Because you _look_ like you took a meteor to the face!"

The carnotaur growled.

"Nobody insults my girlfriend!"

Without a second thought, he swooped his head down and engulfed the segi in his toothy jaws. Blood splattered on the sand, and on the faces of those present. Robert rolled over and readjusted his sunglasses, licking his lips. Claire and Eli balked in shock as the remaining flesh slipped down the carno's throat. Claire's mouth hung open (though was it out of horror or _hunger_?), but Eli managed to speak after stuttering a few times.

"Whoa, WHOA, you just- you just straight-up _killed_ him! You murdered a . . . a . . . a pointy-face-a-saurus!"

The carnotaur swallowed, and Perry's sister spoke in his stead.

"It's only _murder_ if the person's _alive_."

"He _was_ alive!" Eli shrilled.

"And now he's _not_ ," Perry reflected wisely, "Not alive, ergo, _not_ murder."

"You didn't even _tell_ him about how Elkay changed the way DNA works in her universes!" Claire barked, having found her voice again, "Do you just go around _eating_ people who haven't been briefed?"

"Not knowing something that could change your worldview is no excuse for maintaining that worldview in the first place!" Perry argued, stamping her feet, "We know the truth, and that makes us arbiters of justice! Say it with me!"

"ARBITERS OF JUSTICE!" her sister and the carnotaur cheered.

"Science and logic are dead!" Perry cheered.

"SCIENCE AND LOGIC ARE DEAD!"

"Kway Vee-vah Toronto!"

"KWAY VEE-VAH TORONTO!"

The trio ran off, chanting as they went.

"Claire," Eli said, "I think we should talk about . . . all this."

"The hotel."

Still a little in shock, they retreated from the beach. Robert let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Finally. Some peace and quiet."

***TSJWFKFEW***

"So what did you want to talk about _specifically_?" Claire asked, passing a plant that was vaguely Moonwatcher-shaped, but definitely not occupied, if that's what you were thinking.

Eli gulped.

"About all the new dinosaurs. Don't some of them seem a bit . . . _off_?"

"You mean how that carnotaur just killed a guy for not knowing about Elkay's hijinks? Yeah, it was a little harsh."

"It's not just _that_ one . . ." he replied uneasily, "Do you get the feeling that we don't _belong_ here?"

"No."

Claire thought about it for a moment.

". . . Yes. Obviously, this world wasn't created for us specifically. It seems like Elkay had other plans for this place before _we_ came along. Moonwatcher brought us here for her weird reality-show project, and we sometimes don't blend in. It's like orcas: they may _look_ the same, but if they belong to different pods, it's difficult to keep them in close proximity."

"Huh. I didn't know that."

"I was going to study marine biology before I decided on a different path. Learned a bit about orcas. Nothing exciting."

"Ah. Well, I catch your drift, and I agree that we're a bit off-balance, here. I mean, the already-integrated residents seem to be happy, and some of us human-to-dinosaur folk are doing okay, but then there's these dinosaurs from our _own_ world, and the wild ones on Sorna . . . I don't want to get _eaten_ , Claire. It wasn't fun the first time around. And I think that being abused by humans for so long made these dinosaurs a bit . . . _revolution-y_ , so I'm probably gonna take most of the heat. Me and other human-borns. And I know that we've done some shitty things, but I don't want to _die_ , Claire. I don't feel _safe_ here."

"But where _else_ are we going to go? We can't exactly go back home. Not in _this_ state."

"But all the other dinosaurs . . . _they_ weren't meant to be here _either_."

She put her paws on her hips.

"So what, do we just send them back? Strip them of their sentience? Do what Moonwatcher planned, back on the Titanosaur?"

"That's not the whole picture, though. They were just . . . _given_ sentience, without their consent. It'd be like performing a medical procedure on someone who didn't agree to it beforehand. We _assume_ it's making them happier, but what if they were really happier living as normal animals?"

"What, back when they were _exploited_ for profit?"

". . . Claire. Don't bring that up again. You know that I regret what I did, and I'm not saying that this is the right thing to do for sure, but have you considered that they'd be better off without humanoid minds?"

"Huh, and maybe _you'd_ be better off _dead_ , since you didn't have a say in whether or not you'd be brought back."

"To be honest, Claire, sometimes I wish I-"

"Oh, don't you start this!" she snapped, "After everything we've been through-"

"You're right. I'm sorry. And I wouldn't trade this for the world, but my past still haunts me, and I can't just forget about it. I know you care about the dinosaurs, but you have to remember that I-"

"Are you _seriously_ making this about _you_ right now?"

"No! I'm not the _only_ one who exploited the dinosaurs, and you _know_ that!"

"Oh, so it was MY fault!"

"That's not what I'm saying at all!" he protested, "I'm just concerned that people like Gunnar and Wheatley might suffer alongside me . . . Mostly Gunnar. Wheatley still sucks. But Claire, we've made amends, and-"

"Those _dinosaurs_ don't seem to think so."

"But they're not _human_ , Claire."

"Neither are _we!_ "

"Okay, okay. But listen, do you _really_ care more about animals that only became sentient a year ago than you do about _actual_ human beings who grew up with thoughts, feelings-"

" _Dinosaurs_ have thoughts and feelings, too, you know! And yes, I _will_ defend them, because they have as much a right to live freely as people like you and me!"

"Claire . . . why are you _doing_ this?"

"Doing _what_? You don't care about anyone but yourself, and you're just projecting it onto all these innocent dinosaurs!"

"They're not _all_ innocent!" Eli snapped, "One of them just committed a _murder_ literally two minutes ago, and nobody did anything to stop it!"

"Look, they're going to cave into their instincts every once in a while. They were just put through a series of unexpected changes. Give them some time, and they'll adapt. If not, they can go live on Sorna and act like animals. But we need to give them a choice in the matter."

Eli took a breath.

"All of a sudden, you're pretty quick to forgive murder."

"Well, maybe dealing with _you_ gave me practice! And you're lucky I _ever_ gave you a second chance, because-"

"That's not what I meant. You're more or less giving that dinosaur a free pass, Claire. He _killed_ somebody with minimal provocation, and you're somehow willing to let it slide. Is it, what, because he was a _dinosaur_? Because they were _both_ dinosaurs? Does that make it _okay_ somehow?"

Claire glowered.

"Seriously? Just because _I_ became a carnivorous dinosaur, suddenly I've forgotten all sense of human morality? Are you even _listening_ to yourself?"

Eli tried to slap a palm to his face, but could not reach.

"Claire. I'm at least _part_ carnivorous dinosaur, so by that logic, it'd be a flaw in _me_ too. We _both_ know my flaws came _before_ we were all transformed, and I'm not saying it was an instinct you adopted, but for all your talk of treating the dinosaurs like people, you don't seem to realize that human beings don't exactly _eat_ each other on sight!"

"Eli, you have NO idea how strong predatory instincts can be."

"So which is it? Are they humans or animals?"

"Both! Neither! I don't know, but you're making a big deal out of an unfortunate accident!"

"I'd like to hear you say that from inside someone else's jaws!"

"Eli, I know you have a history with saurian violence, but so do I, and it's not fair to treat them like vicious predators!"

"I SAW SOMEONE GET _EATEN_ TODAY!"

"But he _deserved_ it!"

" _Nobody_ deserves to die like that!"

"Fine, but you're only saying that because of what happened to _you_."

"That's a lie! Do you know how many times I've woken up, wishing I had died _permanently_ that night?"

"Well, if I make you so miserable, why-"

"Claire, this isn't _about_ you!"

"So stop projecting this self-loathing onto everybody else!"

"I'm NOT! I have actual, serious concerns about the island! _You're_ the one who's projecting your insecurities onto _me_ , because _you_ can't admit that eating people out of nowhere is _fucked up_!"

"If I'm so _unreasonable_ , then why don't you take your 'concerns' up with someone else? You seem to want a version of me that's able to forget her struggles and shun her own people, all while forgiving _your_ transgressions! If you don't believe a dinosaur can change, fine, but that just proves that your personal mistakes were unforgivable, too. And honestly, I _regret_ giving you that second chance, if you're going to treat me and the other dinosaurs like we're _beneath_ you. It must be so easy to act like you're above it all when I gave you a free pass, but don't you fucking forget that you didn't kill out of necessity, or out of instinct, or out of a sense of justice. You killed someone because you fucked up. So if we're going to talk about morality, how about you admit that a former animal had more integrity than _you_ did as a natural-born human? And while you're at it, admit that you're cutting me and the other dinosaurs down to feed your own ego, because you haven't changed one fucking bit since then! I thought we were done fighting, but I guess you just can't let go of your old habits. What a con, making me believe that you were better than this! It must have taken some commitment. I'm sure Moonwatcher would like to hear all about your lies. After all, manipulating people is what you two do best."

Claire stormed off before Eli could respond. In a way, he felt just as betrayed as Claire appeared to be. He thought he could count on her trust, but realizing that those wounds hadn't fully healed was a hard pill to swallow. He didn't _think_ he'd said anything especially out of line, but somehow, Claire had taken it as an attack regardless of that fact. Did _everyone_ expect him to be on the offensive all the time, even after he'd shown such growth? Was it just Claire being insecure about her instincts?

He sighed to himself. No, it definitely wasn't just Claire. No matter how many absurd transformations he was forced to endure, no matter how much he and his peers changed, physically or otherwise, he'd _never_ be able to escape his past. The things he'd done would _always_ come back to haunt him, and if it ever seemed like he had finally regained the trust of the people he cared about, it was all a lie.

He hated himself for thinking this way, but a part of him still believed that this wasn't fair. Claire was, in part, responsible for what happened at Jurassic World. People had _died_ because of her mismanagement, and she'd been let off the hook because she was _Claire_. Everybody _loved_ her. And who was Eli Mills? Some billionaire's flunky who only became known in this world because of his crimes. He was never _meant_ to be a good guy. To use Moonwatcher's terms, he was _written_ to be bad, but not badly written, because he was doing _exactly_ what he was supposed to be doing: fucking everything up and never learning his lesson, because if he did, he'd be happy, and bad people didn't _deserve_ to be happy. He never saw himself as the villain, except in hindsight, but he had been holding out hope that he was becoming something else. He was _meant_ to think that way, because he was Eli Mills, and besides being a fuck-up, he was an undeniably _bad_ person.

And that, it was increasingly obvious, was all he was supposed to be.

***TSJWFKFEW***

When I returned to our hotel room, I heard a familiar sound. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and saw Eli crouched over the carpet with a wet towel in his claws. He tried to rub away the blue liquid that stained the floor, but the tears were still running down his face, and it was a hopeless endeavour. I took the towel from his hands and nodded to the bathroom.

"Stand over the bathtub. I'll clean this up."

He swallowed, choking a little as he turned. I got to work rubbing out the stains. Many times, I wrung out the towel in the bathroom sink, side-eyeing Eli as he wept into the tub. He was standing in the corner of the room like a child who had just received a time-out. By the time I finished my work, the bathtub was streaked with blue, and Eli had not stopped leaking. I placed my paws on his shoulders and waited for him to calm down. When the tears stopped, I led him to the couch, sitting down beside him. He bit his quivering lip, still looking incredibly apprehensive.

"Eli, we-"

I winced as tears started pouring down his cheeks again. I ran into the bathroom and came back with a fresh towel. I dabbed his eyes lightly as he sobbed.

"Eli, it's been a long day for both of us. I think we need some time to cool down."

He shut his eyes tight, biting his lip so hard that a bit of gasoline began to drip from it. I held his paw and waited for him to stop shaking.

"We both said some things that we'll probably regret later, and I know we didn't mean everything we said, but right now, we're both hurting. This is normal. Couples fight, and stuff can get messy, but the important thing is that we love each other, and this is only temporary."

Slowly, he lifted his head.

"Really? . . ."

"Yeah. I mean, this is just a hiccup. A _big_ hiccup, but a hiccup all the same."

His throat wobbled.

"Oh, god, I thought we were over."

I nuzzled his neck tenderly.

"No, we're not over, Eli. Barely even close."

He whimpered and pressed his nose against my cheek. I licked between his nostrils.

"Everything's going to be fine, Eli. We can start over tomorrow."

His voice shook uncontrollably.

"C-Claire, I love you, and I'm sorry, and I- I-"

I kissed him gently.

"Shhh . . . It's okay. We're okay. We can fix this."

He nodded rapidly.

"Of course, of course . . . Listen, Claire, if you want to help the dinosaurs, I'm with you all the way. Even Robert. Even the carnotaurus. I should have listened to you before, but I promise, we can-"

I placed a claw over his mouth.

"Eli, I know you're not comfortable around them. I don't blame you. I shouldn't have pushed you that far. I can't imagine what it was like to face the person who killed you. Must have been hard for you."

"It's probably worse, the other way around. I'm sure Robert is racked with guilt-"

"Actually, he didn't seem too bothered."

Eli shrugged.

"Okay, maybe not. But it's one of _my_ worst nightmares, anyway."

I knocked his snout to the side gently with my paw.

"Gosh, Eli. You have a lot to feel bad about."

"Mhm."

"But it's nothing an apology won't fix."

"I'll apologize a million times, if I need to."

I ran my claw down his chin.

"Actually, I think I know a way to make us _both_ feel better . . ."

"Do you mean . . ."

I smiled coyly.

"I'm thinking 'oil change'."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Moonwatcher gave me a sardonic look as I arrived at the hospital with Eli dragging behind me with his tail stuck between my legs.

"You should have used lube," she remarked flatly.

Eli and I shot each other a look, then spoke in unison.

"What kind?"

Moonwatcher rolled her eyes.

"Funny. Anyway, I'm glad you're here, because we need to take Claire into the lab for questioning."

My heart dropped.

"Why?"

"Seems some dinosaur got eaten on the beach the other day, and witnesses say you were nearby when it happened. No big deal, once we clear this up, but until then, we need to keep you caged in the lab for twelve hours a day. Can you handle that?"

Eli glowered.

"Claire doesn't belong in a _cage!_ "

Moonwatcher shrugged.

"Those are the rules. I suggest you take my offer, unless you wanna be stuck like that for the next week or so."

I sighed and looked back at Eli.

"I'll be fine. It's only temporary. Plus, we have information about the killing, so we're obligated to do our part."

"Claire, no . . ."

I shook my head.

"You were right. Nothing excuses eating people. We can try to get Perry's sister's boyfriend a lighter sentence, but we _also_ need to make sure that he doesn't do it again."

Eli nodded solemnly.

"I guess that's fair. But I don't like the idea of locking you up."

"You can come with me. Just like old times, right?"

He smiled sadly.

"I'll be there."

Moonwatcher chirped.

"Great! Now, let me just put you under for a moment."

"Wait, wh-"

***TSJWFKFEW***

I woke up in my old cage. It had been so long since I found myself in that cramped prison, but I remembered the feeling of hopelessness all too well. Thankfully, I had one beacon of hope now, that being my wonderful roommate. Eli stared at me from the other side of the bars, no longer caged as he had been before. He stood slowly, extending a paw.

"Claire, I just w- AH!"

He yelped as I grabbed his arm and pulled him forward, kissing him from behind the bars. After a moment, he relaxed, tail wagging behind him. I licked his cheek.

"Thank you for being here, Eli. It really means a lot to me."

He shrugged.

"Yeah, this place has a lot of bad memories, but if it led to the way things are now, some good _must_ have come from it."

" _I_ don't think so," Wu piped up from his cage.

I spun around.

"You're still here?" I asked.

He growled impatiently.

"Me and the cat. And Purple, over there."

I looked back at the nonvocal hybrid. He didn't seem to notice my presence. I turned back to Eli.

"How long do I have to stay here?"

"Twelve hours a day, like Moonwatcher said."

"And how long are you going to stay _with_ me?"

He smiled.

"I'm never leaving your side . . . unless you _want_ me to."

I kissed him again.

"Never."


	20. Mister Jellybean's Fabulous Tweed Vest

Eli awoke in a better mood than usual- in fact, he was in the best mood he'd experienced since Jurassic World went under. Claire was still asleep, and he figured the best thing to do with his newfound cheer would be to share it with her. It would still be an hour or two before she woke up, which gave him plenty of time to make breakfast.

Claire, being an omnivore, would go for just about any kind of breakfast imaginable, with the exception of dead lizards. He put together a decently-sized fruit bowl first. Isla Nublar's tropical climate made it easy for them to grow nearly any sort of fruit, so his creation was brimming with color and variety. He wasn't sure what kind of meat would be most appropriate for the protein-heavy part of her meal. Anything made from a pig might come across as tactless, and they were out of beef. He decided on making her an omelet instead, packing it with greens and a bit of chicken (according to Moonwatcher, chickens could never be sentient because they hadn't gone extinct, which didn't make a lot of sense, but he supposed that if they weren't considered dinosaurs here, that was fine). Once he'd finished the base, he pulled out a waffle iron and the ingredients he'd need for batter, except-

Damn. He'd used the last of the eggs to make the omelet. Well, the corner store wasn't too far away. He could be there and back in minutes.

He snuck out of the hotel suite, closing the door delicately behind him.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Partway down the road, Eli bumped into Iris, who was taking a morning stroll.

"Morning, Iris! Lovely weather, isn't it?"

"It certainly is, Mr. Mills. You seem in a pleasant mood."

"That, I am, Iris. That, I am. This morning has done me well so far. You look lovely, by the way!"

"Why, thank you! And where might you be off to?"

"Just heading to the store to get some eggs."

"Well, I do hope you enjoy yourself. Good day, Mr. Mills."

"And to you as well, Iris."

He zipped into the market and made his purchase. He was just on his way out with a full carton of eggs when he overheard a familiar voice a few aisles over. It was definitely Maisie, and she was with Owen.

"So, if I'm a copy of my mother, does that mean . . . that I'm my _own_ mum?"

"What? No, I don't think that's how it- Wait, _is_ that how it works?" Owen wondered, "You know, I actually have no idea. I guess we'll find out, come Mother's Day."

"If _I'm_ my mum, then I suppose I have two mums and two dads. I always thought I'd grow up without any parents at all, and now I have twice as many as other kids do!"

"Twice as . . . _twice_ as many? Where did you get the idea that you have _four_ parents?"

"Well, I have myself and Claire, and you and Eli."

Eli's heart fluttered until Owen ruined the moment.

"Maisie, Eli Mills isn't your dad."

"Of course he is. He's together with Claire."

Eli bit his lip as Owen sighed from the other side of the barrier.

"Look, Maisie, I know Eli and Claire are together, but that . . . that doesn't change how you're related. Him being with your mom doesn't automatically make him your dad. There's a bond, a special kind of care, that comes with being a parent. It's not _just_ about the connections. It's a relationship."

Eli gulped. Wasn't he at least _on his way_ to becoming a real father? Could he even see himself being a good parent, especially to Maisie? No, that was asinine. She _hated_ him, just like everybody else. Just like Owen and Claire and- Well, not Claire, but she _ought to_ hate him. He was a worthless piece of shit, after all. A worthless piece of shit that couldn't even be there for the person whom he'd watched grow up for however many years. It would have been _so_ much better in the long run if he had been supportive of Maisie for the decade he'd spent by her side, but no. He fucked that up like he fucked up everything else.

Eli didn't hang around to hear the rest of the conversation. He didn't think he could bear it. If Maisie was about to disown him, he might die on the spot. She was such a sweet kid, and if she wanted to consider him a father figure, why _shouldn't_ she be allowed to? Claire had come to love him, so why couldn't anyone else? He tried to do what was best, he tried to avoid hurting anyone, and wouldn't that be enough? What did he ever _do_ that stopped people from trusting-

Oh, right.

As Eli rolled steadily down the road, his mind started racing. That was a dick move on Owen's part, turning Maisie against him like that. He'd tried so hard to make amends, and here was the jealous ex stepping in to unravel his efforts. And he wasn't even telling the truth. Eli would be more than happy to take care of Maisie, because he _loved_ Claire, and Claire loved her daughter, and they'd make amazing parents together, wouldn't they? Even if Eli had wasted most of his time with Maisie, he still knew a great deal about her, and if he was just given a chance- _just one more chance_ \- he could be the best father she ever had . . . not that there was much competition on _that_ front. Still, he could just imagine himself sitting with Claire and Maisie, the three of them being a family, all happy and stuff. He could drive Maisie to soccer games- he _was_ part minivan, after all- and play dinosaurs with her- he _was_ part dinosaur, after all- and do all the things that human parents were supposed to do, because, well, he was part _human_ , too. Being a hybrid meant that he was ten times the father he otherwise would have been, which gave him an edge. And to be honest, as shitty of a person as he used to be, he was miles better than Owen, as of this moment. There wasn't much room for Owen's continued presence in this scenario, actually, since he didn't have much of a connection to Maisie, having known her for a year, at most. If he had been one half of a divorced couple, it'd be different, but Claire and Eli had a perfect setup, and he was at risk of being shoved out of the picture entirely. It was just as well. He seemed like he'd be a possessive father, which wouldn't be good for Maisie. She wasn't a commodity. She was a person, and a very special person, at that, who deserved more than what she was getting right now. Eli swore to himself that he'd try his hardest to be there for her, to put all of his doubt and self-loathing aside while she was in his care. She needed a role model, and- HE WAS ABOUT TO SQUISH HER FLAT!

He swerved just in time, dropping his eggs as he took a light tumble. Maisie, whose face was red from crying, whimpered feebly. Eli rolled into a standing position and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Maisie. I wasn't looking where I was going. Why aren't you back at the grocery store with Owen?"

She coughed, fighting tears, and wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

"He- he said-"

Eli patted her back gently as she ran forward and hugged his wheel.

"It's okay, Maisie. Let it out."

She sobbed.

"We were talking about _you_ , and he said that- that you were probably going to leave my- my mom for some _man_."

Eli frowned.

"Maisie, I'd never do that. I love your mother very much, and I'm not looking for anyone else."

"That's what _I_ said, but he called you selfish, and said that people like you can't be in a relationship, and- and-"

She wailed.

"I TOLD HIM! I TOLD HIM ABOUT THE WAY I AM, AND HE'S GOING TO TELL MOM, AND SHE WON'T LOVE ME ANYMORE!"

Eli shook his head.

"Maisie, she won't stop loving you just because-"

"WE HAVE TO FIND HER! WE HAVE TO STOP OWEN!"

Eli hummed uncertainly, but nodded when she looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"Hop on. I'm going back to the hotel, anyway."

Maisie scrambled up his shoulder, weeping furiously. He leaned forward and motored towards the hotel. She clung to his scales, tears pouring down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry about your eggs . . ."

"That's okay, Maisie. Family comes first."

She sniffled.

"Does this mean you're my new father?"

"Only if you _want_ me to be, I guess . . ."

She nodded, pressing her cheek against his scales. He smiled.

"Okay. Don't worry, Maisie. We're gonna find your mother before Owen. I promise."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Claire yawned and stretched out like a cat as she stepped into fresh air. Eli was nowhere to be found, which probably meant that he was off grocery shopping. She had been waiting for his return so they could eat together, but he was taking longer than usual, and she was starting to worry about him. Her concern turned to panic when she saw Eli speeding towards her with Maisie on his back, both of them shouting at the top of their lungs. She backed away as they screeched to a halt in front of her. Maisie dropped onto her back and hugged her in a frenzy.

"MummyI'mbisexualpleasedon'thateme!"

She batted her eyes.

"What?"

Maisie sobbed.

"I'm sorry, Mummy! I was going to tell you sooner, but I was so _afraid_ , and if you want to get rid of me, I understand, but-"

Claire waved her paws.

"Maisie, Maisie, Maisie! Hold up, there! I'm not getting rid of you!"

"But you're disappointed in me? . . ."

"No! Never!"

"Are you _mad_ at me? . . ."

Claire laughed.

"Of course not! Maisie, I _love_ you, and nothing is gonna _stop_ me from loving you! But don't scare me like that, okay? I thought something was wrong."

Maisie buried her face in Claire's scales, crying with relief. She patted her uncertainly, turning to Eli for an explanation. He shrugged.

"She got a little spooked, and I figured- Oh."

He noticed Owen running towards them, out of breath. He skidded to a stop, leaning on his knees for support.

"Maisie . . . I didn't mean to . . . say those things . . . I was talking about . . . _Eli_ . . . not _you_ ," he panted.

Maisie stared at him, uncertain of how to respond. Slowly, she slipped down from Claire's back and waddled into the hotel. Owen frowned with worry.

"Maisie . . ."

Claire scowled at him.

"What did you _do?_ "

He shook his head.

"It was an accident! I didn't mean to upset her! Please, Claire, tell her I'm sorry."

She sighed.

"Okay, Owen. I'll go find her."

She lumbered away, leaving Owen and Eli alone.

"I'll bet you're _loving_ this."

"Actually, I'm not," Eli replied coldly, "And I'm kind of furious with you, to be honest."

"You have no right to be. Maisie's not _your_ kid."

"I don't care _whose_ kid she is! That was _inexcusable!_ If you want to dunk on me, fine, but don't hurt Maisie!"

"Manipulative bastard. You're trying to take her away from me, just like you took Claire."

Eli growled.

"I didn't 'take' Claire. She _decided_ to leave you, and now she's with me, which was _also_ her decision. We shouldn't even be _talking_ about this. They'll be back soon, and I don't want to start another fight."

"So suddenly, _you're_ the mature one?"

Eli gnashed his teeth.

"Look, I know we have a history, and most of it was _my_ fault, but right now, we need to focus on Maisie."

"Convenient."

"Owen! We're supposed to be adults, here! And I don't _care_ how fake it is, because we both know that we hate each other, and I'm sure we'd like nothing more than to punch each other's lights out, but right now, there's a little girl who needs us to be _better_ than that, so kindly shut the fuck up and swallow your pride for once, okay?"

They fell silent as Maisie reappeared, hiding behind Claire. She peeked through her plates to look at Owen. He waved, and her eyes snapped away.

"Mum says you didn't mean to say the things you said."

"Maisie, I-"

"It's okay, Owen. I feel better now. But I'd like to spend the rest of the day with Mom and D-"

She caught herself.

"With Mom and Eli. Is that okay?"

After a pause, Owen nodded.

"Yeah, that's okay. I'll see you tomorrow, sweetheart."

She didn't reply. Following Claire into the hotel, she held her paw, looking over her shoulder and extending her other hand for Eli's. He looked down at Owen with pity before accepting it, then joined them in the elevator.

Owen watched them go, then turned away in silence.

***TSJWFKFEW***

After the awkwardness that transpired that morning, I wasn't expecting a good day, but as soon as we got going, we forgot all about what had happened with Owen. We decided to take the train to the water park, and it was a pretty decent attraction, I must admit. Eli couldn't go any deeper than the shallow end of the pool, being too heavy for water, but Maisie played with him there, suggesting that they get him floating tires so they could swim together someday. He smiled as she splashed him, failing to splash her back with his clumsy arms. I caught them both by surprise when I sent a small wave their way. Maisie chased me across the pool, catching me in the lazy river. I paddled back to Eli with her perched on my chest, and we went for ice cream, though Eli couldn't have any for himself.

That night, when Maisie was asleep in her room, I sat beside Eli in front of the hotel fireplace, down in the lobby. It wasn't a real fire, but the glowing screen provided a nice atmosphere. After sitting together in silence for a few minutes, Eli shifted a little.

"Claire?"

"Yes?"

"I was just wondering . . ."

"Yes? . . ."

He shook his head.

"It's nothing. Or maybe it's _something_. I don't know."

"Tell me."

He took a deep breath and looked up at the stars that shone through the glass ceiling.

"I was just wondering if you were maybe not comfortable with . . . with the way that I am . . . you know . . . sexually."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He gulped.

"Uh, well, you know . . . the thing Moonwatcher told you about me being . . . being attracted to men _and_ women. The same thing Maisie is."

"Bisexual?"

"Yeah, _that_ ," he choked, "I know you wouldn't say anything around Maisie, but I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

Gosh, I didn't realize he was so worried about what I'd think. But I was ready to prove that I was no bigot.

"No, I'm not worried about _that_ ," I replied breezily, "I know the difference between a bisexual and a cheater."

Yikes, that sounded more know-it-all than I intended it to. I didn't get a chance to dig that hole deeper, thank god, because he started to fidget uncomfortably, and he soon let out a pained laugh.

"Yeah, that's . . . _a relief_. But I was worried that you might . . . I don't know . . ."

I quirked a brow.

"Look, Eli, your dick is a long hunk of metal, so if I've stuck with you through _that_ , I don't think _bisexuality_ is going to be _that_ big of a deal . . ."

He laughed awkwardly.

"No . . . No, I guess not."

There was a long silence. Eventually, he took a deep breath, letting it out slowly in a pale, nearly transparent cloud of exhaust.

"It's funny . . . As much as I don't . . . _fit in_ , with all of these changes . . . it's . . . Well, I'm _equally_ worried about _everything_ , let's just put it that way."

"Really?"

He shrugged.

"Yeah, well . . . I thought it'd be easier coming to terms with my sexuality, now that I'm a prehistoric cyborg, but I don't feel like any less of a freak, would you believe it . . ."

I placed my paw on his wheel.

"You're not a freak."

"Arguably false, but in any case, I _feel_ that way. Always have, always will.""

"I'm sorry."

He shook his head quickly.

"Don't be, don't be . . . It's not your problem."

I leaned against his side, churring gently.

"If you wanna talk about it, I'm here to listen."

He turned away. I gulped, letting my hand slide down his hubcap.

"But if it's too painful-"

"No, it's not that," he said quietly, "I'm just afraid of losing you."

I reached up and took his paw in mine.

"Hey, you know me better than that. I don't want you to feel like you have to hide anything from me. I _love_ you."

That was the first time I said it on my own, without any restraint whatsoever, and I regretted it immediately. It was more than an offhand remark now. It actually _meant_ something, and my entire future hinged on those words. This wasn't just puppy love, it was LOVE, and maybe he couldn't detect it in my voice, but it was the most serious love I'd felt in a long time, the kind of love that _forever_ is built on. And now he knew that I wanted something more than just a quick fling, more than a trial run, and he could break my heart if he wanted to. Oh, god, why did I put myself on the line like that? We were doing just fine, but now we had to worry about the future, instead of living in the moment. I thought I might have a heart attack right then and there, but surprised as he was by my confession, he wasn't put off by it.

"I . . . _Thank you_ , Claire. I love you, too."

"So, do you wanna talk about your thing, or? . . ."

He nodded slowly.

"I guess so. I just . . . I _worry_ a lot. It's the _hiding_ that really gets to me. I feel like I'm living a lie, only it's a lie by omission. It's like . . . no matter how normal I appear on the surface, there's always going to be this feeling that I'm getting away with something, or- or more like I'm _dying_ to tell someone that the 'me' they see isn't the whole truth, only I _know_ what will happen if I do."

I cocked my head.

"I'm sure you'll meet people who are accepting of-"

"But the people I _already_ know might NOT be. That's the problem. I've been closeted for so long that I've grown attached to people who don't know my secret, and I'm not sure how many of them would stand by me if I told them the truth."

"Your friends love you."

He laughed bitterly.

"That's what _I_ thought too, but reality isn't so kind. When my _mother_ found out-"

He choked. I squeezed his paw.

"Eli . . ."

He sighed.

"No, it's no big deal. It's not what you think it is. She . . . Well, she wasn't . . . Back in college, I had this friend, Adam. We were _very_ close, and sometimes I wondered if . . . Well, there would be these flickers of what I _thought_ might be something _more_ than friendship, but I told myself that I was just misinterpreting his actions because I was _afraid_ he might be hitting on me, and I didn't want to be friends with a . . ."

He winced.

"I was pretty deep in the closet. Anyway, I had _thought_ about men before, but I never let my mind wander too far. I told myself that I was worried about being gay, which is why I dwelled on those thoughts so much . . . I know it doesn't make sense, but at the time, it was easy to believe that my mind went to those places out of panic, not . . . _actual_ attraction. I had to remind myself that I was attracted to girls, so I _couldn't_ be gay, I reasoned. I knew that I was attracted to women _for sure_ , so anything else was just a stray data point, I convinced myself. I don't think it even _occurred_ to me that I might be bisexual. I just . . . didn't think of it as an option. But I must have realized at some point, because I started thinking about it more and more, and when I was with Adam . . ."

He cleared his throat.

"We were studying in his dorm one night. Every so often, there would be these glimmers of . . . Well, in retrospect, it was _flirting_ , but I wrote it off as friendly jokes. But there came a point when the jokes turned serious, and I realized that we were sitting very close to each other, and that my heart was racing, and- I just sort of went for it. Or maybe _he_ did. I don't really remember. But I think we _both_ leaned in, and . . . That was the first time I kissed a man. I remember when we pulled apart, I thought to myself, 'Why are you not afraid? You should be afraid right now.' But I wasn't. And neither was he. We looked into each other's eyes, and for a moment, the world stood still. And then we kissed again. It was still gentle, but not as timid. I remember holding his face, and feeling his hands around my waist . . ."

His eyes were distant.

"And then my mother found out. Actually, I _told_ her. Me and Adam, we'd been together for a while . . . not _officially_ or anything . . . I mean, we were _sleeping together_ , but we hadn't _told_ anyone . . . I was in the kitchen with my mom. We were getting the turkey ready for Thanksgiving. I kept dropping hints about my . . . sexual preference . . . getting bolder and bolder until she realized what I was getting at. I don't even remember what I said. At the time, I wasn't even sure that she had caught on. But over the next few weeks, she kept telling me that I wasn't gay, because she would have _known_ , and I tried to explain to her that I was attracted to men AND women, but she just . . . didn't believe it. It was like I'd told her that I was a _wizard_ or something. She just didn't think it was possible. But I suppose she _must_ have believed me to _some_ extent, because she told me I was being selfish, as if being attracted to men and women meant I couldn't _choose_ . . . and then she started telling me that I was just confused. I guess she was right, in a way. I don't know whether it's harder to be gay or bisexual- maybe it's about the same, but in different ways. At least if I had been gay, I wouldn't have felt like there was an easy way to stay closeted . . . Well, not _easy_. In theory, I could have married the woman of my dreams and had two point five kids, and no one would be the wiser. But that wouldn't change who I was _inside_ , even if there was no reason for me to _tell_ anyone. It wasn't that I HAD to be with men, obviously, but it felt so _wrong_ to pretend that I was something I'm not. I told myself that I could pass as straight, and maybe that was true, but it just didn't feel honest or affirming. But that was how my mother chose to see it. For years, she quietly neglected to bring up my confession, even when I reminded her of it. There were times when she was passive-aggressive about the whole thing, like when I remarked on how attractive the men and women in movies were, and she'd focus on the main actress, just as though I hadn't mentioned the guys at all . . . But for the most part, it was something she didn't shut down explicitly. Instead, she pretended that it never happened, like it didn't matter that I had come out to her. But it mattered to _me_. _She_ didn't see the difference, but _I_. . ."

He swallowed the lump in his throat.

"She remained supportive, just as she had before. It was like nothing had changed, and _that_ was what bothered me. She treated the whole ordeal like a "that didn't happen" moment, but I couldn't forget that it DID happen, because it was still a part of me. My mother loved me, but there was one part of me she _didn't_ love, and from that moment on, her support felt like a sham. I'm still grateful for everything she did for me. It's just that I felt like it was an obligation or a lie, because I wasn't the person she _thought_ I was. I was a disappointment to her, but if I kept up the charade, that one minor glitch wouldn't be a problem for either of us. Only . . . it _was_."

His throat wobbled.

"It's not easy to hide. Especially when you feel like you shouldn't _have_ to."

I rested my head on his chest.

"I'm sorry."

He stroked my frill.

"Don't be. It's not your fault."

"You shouldn't have to hide who you are."

"Maybe not, but that's life. If I had accepted that sooner, I could have saved myself a great deal of trouble. Adam was the one who gave me . . ."

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

"I'm not saying I regret it, and I'm not blaming him. He didn't know."

"Are you sure?"

That was the wrong thing to say. I wanted to slap myself. I had no reason to compete with some ex-lover, least of all with petty slander.

"I'm sure," Eli whispered, "When he found out, he-"

I waited. He let his arm slip from my head.

"He killed himself. I saw his picture in the newspaper, and . . . My heart stopped. I attended his funeral. I sat in the back, afraid that someone would chase me away, but nobody knew who I was. I overheard two of his relatives gossiping after the service. They said it was a hanging."

I didn't know what to say.

"Eli . . ."

"It's all for the best, I suppose," he finished brusquely, "I'm not sure he'd be happy with how much I've fucked my life over."

"Don't say that . . ." I pleaded.

He frowned bitterly.

"Claire, if things had taken their natural course, I'd be inside the stomachs of two dinosaurs right now. That would have been the end of me."

"But it _wasn't_."

He curled his tail in front of his legs.

"No, it wasn't. But it _could_ have been, and that's what scares me. I wasted my life. I did it all wrong. But I got a second chance, even though I didn't deserve it. I almost fucked _that_ up, too. More than anything, I want a clean slate, but life just doesn't work that way. Your mistakes follow you wherever you go, and you can't erase the wounds they leave behind."

I stroked his arm.

"But you can try to heal them . . ."

He swallowed.

"I hope so. I just worry that it might be too little, too late . . ."

I shook my head.

"What matters is that you do the best you can. Maybe it's too late for _some_ people, but you still have your friends. You still have _me_."

"Claire . . ."

He bit his lip and gave me a hug. I squeezed him back. He started shaking, and I felt something wet land on my back. He pulled away, blue streaks cutting down his cheeks.

"Careful, it might be corrosive . . ." he choked.

His eyebrows flipped over, wiping away the fluid with quiet squeaks. He laughed through his tears.

"I'm sorry. This isn't the most dignified way to cry."

I shrugged.

"I think it's cute."

"Well . . . at least it's not oil again."

Although I was gagging on the chemical's scent, I joined him in laughing.

"Eli, you have a beautiful soul."

"So do you, Claire."

"Thank you. And you know I trust you, right?"

"Of course. But I'm worried about Maisie. It took me so long to come to terms with the way I am, and I don't want to pass on that self-loathing to _her_. I know how it feels to be alone, and-"

I placed my paw on his shoulder.

"And she _won't_ be, because she has _you_. I know it was hard for you, Eli, but you're not a worse person for it. There's a reason she came to you first. Lord knows, I try my best to be a good mother, but there are some things I can't teach her intuitively. I know we didn't start off as a real family, but right now, I think we're good for each other. We still have to work through our flaws, but that's something we can do together."

He nodded.

"I hope so . . . Claire, I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Like, a lot."

"I know, Eli."

". . . Claire? . . ."

I leaned closer.

"Yes, Eli?"

"Will you- Actually, will you give me a minute? I need to think through how to do this properly."

I kissed his cheek.

"Sure thing. But I think we should be getting to bed soon. I have to visit the lab tomorrow, to help with Gulper."

"Who?"

"Perry's Sister's boyfriend."

"Oh, I see. Do you need me to come, too?"

"Only if you want to. I know you two have a history."

He waved his paw.

"Aw, so does everybody else on this island. I'm good to go."

I grinned.

"Thank you. I appreciate you being there for me."

"No problem. I hate to see you stuck in that place alone. I'm glad we were able to nix your curfew."

"Well, we have Gulper to thank for that. If he hadn't confessed, I'd still be locked up every day. He's a nice guy, even if he _did_ eat a person."

Eli laughed awkwardly.

"Yeah . . . It's great of you to stand by him, in all seriousness. I think you have a chance of reforming him, to be quite honest."

"We'll see."

Eli smiled.

"I'll bet that by the end of the year, you'll even have _Henry_ walking free."

" _That_ , I don't believe," I replied, "But he seems to be a _little_ softer, anyway. I expect him to be the last dinosaur out of there."

"Not the quiet one?"

"I was hoping to get Mr. Jellybean to help me communicate with him tomorrow."

"Clever. Any way _I_ can help?"

I licked his cheek.

"You can help just by being there. I feel better when you're close."

He smiled.

"Me too, Claire. Me too."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Integrating the new dinosaurs into society wasn't exactly easy, and Claire was starting to find that there were far more quirks than she had initially projected. It was increasingly difficult to tell which dinosaurs had started out as humans and which dinosaurs had always been non-human, for one thing. Their looks and their culture were slowly blending into others as they adopted certain mannerisms and ways of speaking by observing the world around them. At first, many of the new dinosaurs had started practicing "Moonwatcherism," but it was growing in popularity among former humans, too. Claire wasn't sure if the reverse- human belief systems gaining traction among dinosaurs- was as common, since dinosaurs wouldn't have had thousands of years of context to understand why the world was organized the way it was, but there were some notable exceptions. Here and there, she saw it happen, like with one of the new brachiosaurs, who was wearing a burqa when they first met.

"Oh, you must be one of the new arrivals," Claire said. "I don't think I've seen you before."

"We got here a few days ago," the brachiosaur replied, "My sister and I-"

She gestured to a much smaller sauropod, who Claire hadn't noticed at first.

"-ended up stepping through a portal by accident, and next thing you know, we have a fundamental understanding of human psychology, just like that."

Claire scanned the smaller dinosaur.

"You two are . . . sisters? . . ."

"Well . . . yes. That doesn't usually change when you gain sentience."

"Oh. I thought you were a brachiosaurus. You must be a . . . I'm sorry, what species are you?"

The sister, while small by sauropod standards, was still taller than Claire. Even so, her proportions didn't match those of her sister, which made it hard to identify what species they belonged to.

"I'm _also_ a brachiosaurus."

"Oh. Are you _sure?_ "

"Yes!"

"But you're positive you didn't become separate species when you changed?"

"We're dinosaur-born dinosaurs."

"Ah. But are you maybe adopted, or-"

The shorter brachio rolled her eyes.

"We aren't metaphorical sisters, or 'linked by a special sister-like bond,' or whatever you're assuming. We're _literal_ siblings who share the same two parents."

"Then why-"

"My sister is a dwarf. Moonwatcher said that she could qualify as a different species if she chooses to call herself that, but we don't exactly subscribe to Moonwatcherism."

". . . Oh."

(Fucking brilliant, Claire. Why don't I ever mind my own business? . . .)

"I didn't mean any offense, it's just-"

"Yeah, yeah. 'Aren't brachiosaurus supposed to be tall?' Heard that one before. Real original."

"I-I'm sorry," I stammered, "I just thought you might be a different-"

"You shouldn't judge people based on their looks. For instance, you don't _look_ like an asshole, but here we are."

"I-"

"Listen, lady, we know how it is with you humans. Whenever you see someone who's a little different, you start thinking of them as a separate species. You force them to breed with similar creatures until you make fancy pets with white fur or funky patterns or curly hair, but you never stop to ask if it's your place to _do_ that. If you wanna play God with animals, fine, but don't treat dinosaurs like some exotic specimens that exist only for your amusement. We're people, not livestock, and we don't need you to categorize us by size or bone structure or skull shape. You humans _disgust_ me! You're so busy trying to diagnose us that you don't listen to our _actual_ experiences. I suppose fossils don't call out your bullshit as much, do they?"

Claire gulped.

"Um, well, what you lack in size, you make up for in spirit? . . ."

The brachio slapped her forehead.

"Great. Now she's being condescending. Listen, lady, I don't 'lack' anything, okay? I'm complete, and I'm more well-rounded than _your_ ignorant ass, so you can piss right off, okay?"

The two sisters turned to leave, affronted.

"This is why you can't trust human-borns. They still treat us like animals."

"Lateral specism is the worst."

Claire sighed. She was still phenomenally prone to saying the wrong thing. These dinosaurs had every right to be angry, she supposed, since she had basically kept their peers in a zoo setting for most of their lives. It would be best to take this as a learning experience and try to do better next time. Hopefully, the next dinosaur integration-slash-interaction wouldn't be as awkward.

Or the next _human_ interaction, for that matter.

Claire winced as Owen came strolling down the road.

"Morning."

"Morning. I'm looking for Mr. Jellybean. Have you seen him?"

"I actually saw him the other day. Quirky dino. He says he's something called 'trains mask'. I don't understand it."

"I need him to communicate with the purple guy."

"Barney?"

"Very funny."

"Naw, I know who you mean. Jelly can handle it. He bashed his head so many times that he got super smart. I'm sure he'll be able to figure this out."

"Um, he's a Stiggy. The hybrid is part Stiggy. That's the main thing."

Owen crossed his arms.

"I think it's kind of racist to assume that all Stiggies speak the same language."

A passing Galli flipped him off.

"It's specist to treat specism like racism, asshole!"

Owen's lips tightened. Claire smirked.

"Sorry, Owen. Looks like you're not qualified to talk about dinosaur issues."

The look on his face was priceless.

Claire: 1

Owen: 0

"Lady, _you're_ not qualified, either!" shouted a distant brachiosaurus.

Okay, maybe it was time to shut up.

***TSJWFKFEW***

"I'm sorry, Claire, but I just can't get him to talk," Mr. Jellybean sighed, "He's making expressive sounds, but that's not quite the same thing as fully-formed saurian words."

I let out a long breath.

"That's okay, Mr. Jellybean. I know you tried."

Eli lowered his head to stare at the caged dinosaur.

"He looks sad. Does he understand us?"

"He _always_ looks sad," I muttered, "But maybe it's just because I keep failing him."

Eli patted my back.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Claire. Helping dinosaurs is a tall order."

"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure I'm the _worst_ person to be filling it."

Mr. Jellybean's face softened.

"I heard about this morning. Don't let it dishearten you, Claire. We all make mistakes, but as long as you learn from them, you don't have to feel badly for too long."

"I just don't understand why some dinosaurs want ME to help them."

After a pause, he shrugged.

"Well, you're one of the only human-borns we have on our side. We figured you could get the humans to listen, just like you did back home."

"I didn't do a great job of _that_ , either."

"It's not as bad as you think. You personally came back to save us, and even if it didn't work out the way you wanted it to, it's still more than _most_ people would do. You're a powerful ally, and even if you stumble every once in a while, we're glad to have you on our side."

"I feel like a bad person . . ."

"Well, you were raised to be a human, so that's normal. But you can learn to be good, if you learn to be a dinosaur like us."

Eli nodded.

"People can change, Claire. I mean, we're not the same people we used to be, right? . . ."

We all shrieked as Moonwatcher stepped out from behind Eli's wheel.

"Right! And I can _prove_ it! Follow me to my office!"

***TSJWFKFEW***

"The reason we don't notice change is because it happens gradually," Moonwatcher asserted, "Ergo, we can only observe the shift by making a jump in time, or a jump in _awareness_ , to be more precise."

"Huh?"

She tapped her fingers on her desk.

"I know a way to bring your consciousness back to an earlier stage so that you can see the difference for yourself. Elkay did the same thing to the last Claire, and- Well, okay, it ended badly, but on the bright side, _you_ won't be disgusted by your own child! . . . probably."

I blinked.

"Moonwatcher, I don't know what your plan is, but I don't like where this is going. I don't want to mess with my brain chemistry, even if it ends up teaching me a lesson."

"It's perfectly safe! Here, let me practice on Eli."

I raised my paws.

"No, no, n-"

Eli dropped like a rag doll. I gasped and knelt by his side, cradling his head.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck! . . . What did you DO?!"

Before Moonwatcher could answer, Eli groaned. His eyes fluttered open softly. When he saw me, he screamed. I scampered backwards, and Eli tried to do the same, but rolled onto his tail instead. He yowled and looked at his rear, eyes widening, then stumbled into the corner of the room.

"What the hell, what the hell, what the hell . . ."

I raised my paws.

"Eli, calm down. It's okay."

His jaw dropped.

"You can t- Wait a minute. Are you _Claire_?"

"Yes, Eli. It's me."

His throat wobbled as he let out a confused gurgle.

"Why are we dinosaurs? . . . Why do I have _wheels?_ . . ."

I touched his chest.

"Eli, what's the last thing you remember?"

"What?"

"Before waking up, what were you doing?"

He batted his eyes.

"I was about to meet you at the estate and explain our dinosaur extraction plan."

Ouch. That brought back painful memories.

"'Extraction', huh?" I echoed.

I couldn't help myself.

"Yes. We have a piece of land-"

My quills bristled involuntarily.

"Eli, I know about the auction."

He looked terrified. His nostrils flared with each breath, and his pupils shrunk to pinpoints.

"Don't tell Ben."

I took a deep breath.

"Um, Eli . . . Benjamin Lockwood is dead."

Eli bit his lip.

"Oh, no . . . When? How?"

"Since June of last year."

I made a point of not answering the second question. Eli's forehead bunched up as he processed this information.

"Does this mean I have amnesia? . . ."

Moonwatcher nodded.

"Yup, but it's only temporary."

Eli jumped, noticing her presence for the first time.

"Who's _she?_ "

I shrugged.

"Long story."

Eli caught his breath, but suddenly looked concerned.

"Wait, what happened to Maisie? Do I have to take care of her now?"

"I adopted her. She's with Owen right now."

He hummed.

"So you two got back together, I presume?"

I rubbed my arm.

"Yes . . . For a while. But now _we're_ dating."

Eli blinked.

" _We?_ As in . . . _you_ and _me_? . . ."

"Yes."

He smiled.

"That's . . . pretty cool! Do we take care of Maisie together? Am I a good dad? Also, why are we dinosaurs? You never answered me, and I feel like that's important . . ."

"It'd take a while to explain."

He chuckled.

"I have time. I mean, if this amnesia thing is only temporary, it might not be worth it, depending on how long it takes me to get back to normal."

Moonwatcher snapped her fingers.

"Less than a day, for sure. You'll get your memories back in chronological order."

Eli nodded.

"Okay, so I'll probably be fine, then. Well . . . mostly. Not gonna lie, I'm kind of freaked out. But it sounds like I'm doing okay. _Am_ I okay? I'm a dinosaur-car . . ."

I stroked his snout.

"Don't get too excited, Eli. I promise, it's not as scary as it sounds. You've just been thrown into this cold turkey, that's all. But I swear, it makes sense, and yes, you're doing okay."

He nodded slowly.

"Yeah, it seems like I have a pretty good life. I mean, we've obviously moved to some tropical island, and we seem to be happy together- Wait, _are_ we happy together?"

"Very."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, good. I was afraid that I'd been disappointing you this whole time. Speaking of which, I'm sorry for lying about the dinosaurs. I've probably apologized already, but I don't remember doing it, and it deserves a second apology anyway. I guess if I told you about it, we're all good, right? It's been a few months, at least, and seeing how we're . . . _you know_ . . . um . . . What I'm asking is if we've sorted it out."

"Yes, we have."

He laughed awkwardly.

"Great. I wouldn't want something like that hanging over our heads. Honestly, I'm surprised you wanted to date me, after that. It's the shittiest thing I've ever done."

Moonwatcher pursed her lips.

"Oh, boy. We're in for a ride."

***TSJWFKFEW***

After giving Moonwatcher a stern talking-to, I brought Eli back to our hotel room. He was dazzled by the island. It was kind of charming, watching him gawk at all the strange sights that Isla Nublar had to offer, but I was still upset that Moonwatcher had done this to him. Once his memory came back, I intended to put an end to her nonsense, once and for all. For now, though, I was busy with my poor, naïve boyfriend, who was barely scratching the surface of our troubled past.

I realized that Eli was in a bad way when I turned around and saw him shaking on the couch. He had been quiet for a few minutes, but I didn't think much of it until that moment. He noticed me staring at him, and quickly looked away.

"Eli? . . ." I ventured.

"Y-yes?"

"Are you okay?" I prompted.

He took a deep, but shaky, breath.

"Claire, we seem to have a happy life together."

"We do."

"I know, and I don't want to ruin it, especially if the non-amnesia me had a reason to keep things from you."

"Eli, have you been _lying_ about something?"

He bit his lip and nodded slowly, blue tears piling up at the corners of his eyes.

"Even if I regret telling you later, you deserve to know. I don't think I could live with myself if I continued to lie about it, but . . . Oh, god. I'm going to miss this, even if I have no idea how I got here."

I swallowed.

"Is it really bad enough to tear us apart?"

He nodded.

"I know you love me, but it's . . . Oh, god, it's worse than you can imagine. I'm sorry I kept it a secret for so long. You deserve better."

I rested my paw on his knee.

"Eli, you can tell me anything. We love each other."

He shook his head.

"You won't love me after _this_ . . ."

"Try me."

Tears slipped from his eyes as he took an unsteady breath.

"Claire, Benjamin Lockwood didn't die a natural death . . ."

I blinked.

"Eli."

"Let me finish. The thing is, I kind of-"

I put my finger over his lips.

"Eli. I know about that."

He gulped.

"You _do?_ "

"Yes. And we got through it."

". . . Really?"

"Yes."

He groaned and pulled his knees against his chest.

"Claire, is there anything _else_ I did that . . . I mean . . . Does it get _worse?_ "

I shrugged helplessly.

"Well, there's definitely a lot that happened between us before it got better, but it's all in the past now. I think Moonwatcher wrote some of it down, so if it's easier to read-"

"I don't think _anything_ can make this easier," he whispered.

I licked his cheek.

"I know it's hard, but I promise, nothing that happened between us was enough to keep us apart. Just focus on what's happening right now. We're together, we love each other, and we-"

"Oh my god, I just remembered when you got caught sneaking into the estate! Did I try to . . . Did I try to _hurt_ you after that?"

"Um . . . Not _immediately_ after."

He winced.

"I think I deserved that."

"What?"

"When you broke my glasses."

"Ah. Yeah, you kind of did, at the time, but I wouldn't do it now."

"Oh, good. Because I'm a little angry about it."

He noticed my expression and coughed awkwardly.

"I'm sorry. This stuff is still fresh in my mind, and I can't remember the good parts yet, so it's . . . confusing."

I kissed him gently.

"You were a different person back then. Just wait until your memory's back before judging me, okay?"

He nuzzled my snout.

"Okay. I trust you. This feels right to me."

I smiled, pressing my forehead against his chest.

"Me too."

***TSJWFKFEW***

A half-hour later, Eli spoke again.

"Claire, am I in hell?"

I did a double-take, turning away from a pot of boiling soup.

"I'm sorry. What?"

"I remember dying, and now I have horns. This place is pretty hot. Is this hell?"

"It's Central America . . ."

He hummed.

"I'm not so sure."

I cocked my head.

"Is dating me akin to torture?"

He shook his head.

"No, not at all. Quite the opposite. I have a feeling that this is going to be taken away from me as punishment."

I kissed him on the cheek.

"It's not. This is real. I promise."

He sighed.

"I don't deserve this . . ."

"You're not as bad of a man as you _think_ you are."

"Really?"

"Mhm. We've had a lot of good times. Our whole relationship has been amazing."

He smiled.

"Well, I may not remember it, but I sure do like the _idea_."

I licked his face. He laughed, then put his arms around me. After a pause, he cocked his head.

"Claire, have we- Um, I mean . . . How _far_ have we gone, with this relationship?"

"Are you asking if we've had sex?"

". . . Yeah."

I giggled.

"We have. Many times. But we have to do it a certain way, or it ends badly."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Oh."

"But it's really great."

He churred happily. I slithered under his chin.

"Do you want me to _show_ you?"

"Aw, man. I'd love to, but is it weird? . . ."

"What's your most recent memory?"

"Being wheeled into the lab . . . Seeing them put a collar on you . . . That whole mess with the gun . . . Calling you a cunt . . ."

"Okay, so maybe don't think about that."

"Sounds good."

I pressed my beak against his lips. He leaned backwards against the couch, moaning softly. I dragged my tongue across his face, and-

"What the fuck?"

I opened my eyes. He was staring at his crotch. I shrugged sheepishly.

"I mean, it works just fine . . ."

He frowned.

"That's so fucking weird."

I grinned.

"Well, on _this_ island, that's the least of your worries."

He chuckled, but suddenly, his face fell.

"Um, Claire. Before we start, I was wondering if you had fully recovered from . . . I mean . . . You know how you have that _dinosaur_ thing? . . ."

"I learned to overcome it. I don't even react to the gun anymore. I've taken control of my impulses, fully."

"How did you do _that_?"

I ran my paw over his head.

"I think you're gonna like the answer, once you remember it."

"Can't you tell me now?"

I snickered.

"No spoilers."

***TSJWFKFEW***

We didn't really make it through the intercourse. Eli was remembering some of our arguments in the lab, between long stretches of boring nothingness, and neither really helped the mood. Despite this, Eli was very impressed with my performance.

"Holy shit, you know _exactly_ what I like!"

"Yeah, we've been doing this for quite some time now . . ."

He fell backwards onto the bed with wonderment.

"Aw, man, if this is what my life is like, all is forgiven!"

I frowned with displeasure. He gulped.

"No, you're totally right. _I_ was in the wrong, not you. I'm sure it'll be easier to accept that, once I remember how we resolved things . . . though to be honest, I'm kind of falling in love with you right now."

I smiled and rubbed my nose against his.

"Glad to hear it."

He beamed and held me against his chest, sighing with relief.

"Everything is so _perfect_ . . . How did I get this lucky?"

I poked his snout.

"By being good. By improving."

He laughed.

"I didn't know I had it in me. I'm guessing you helped me along, right?"

"I _tried_ , at least."

He licked my cheek excitedly.

"Thank you. I know I didn't deserve another chance, after what happened, but . . . Aw, man. I'm glad I got one. I'd die a million times over, if it meant I'd get to sit here with you, right now."

God, I love Eli.

I chuckled and leaned into his chest.

"You're so sweet . . ."

"I'm glad, because I wasn't very sweet when we first met."

"Well . . ."

"I'll try to make up for it, though. I think the memories are coming back faster, now."

"Good."

After a pause, he bit his lip.

"Oh . . . How many people know I have AIDS?"  
"You don't anymore. A bat sneezed on you. You'll see."

"Ah."

For the next hour or so, Eli described his memories, and it was like reliving the past year all over again. It wasn't _all_ bad, but a lot of the early stuff, I'd like to forget.

Eventually, Eli started remembering our relationship, and we finally had something to talk about. He reminded me of moments I had nearly forgotten, and his stories made me smile. He was getting closer and closer to the Eli of this morning, and I couldn't be happier.

When I turned around to see him thrashing around on the floor, however, I dropped what I was doing and ran over to him, cradling his head. His eyes darted back and forth uncertainly.

"Claire, the memories are coming faster. I-"

He dry-heaved, tears brimming in his eyes.

". . . I don't feel so good."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Eli found himself in a dark field. He looked left and right, wondering why the world was so empty.

"Hello? . . ."

The ebony grass blew gently in the wind. Eli took a step forward, and realized that he had a foot instead of a wheel at the end of his leg.

"Claire! Hey, Claire! I'm human again!"

No reply.

"Claire? . . ."

 **I** 'm **h** e **r** e, **E** l **i** . . .

"Claire, I can't see you!"

He felt a hand in his palm. When he looked down, he saw a crystal glove with its fingers laced between his.

"Whoah . . ."

Suddenly, the glass burst into water, spraying his suit. He screamed.

Eli!

"Oh, god, I think I'm gonna throw up!"

Hang on, hang on. Let's get you to the bathroom.

He covered his mouth, cheeks puffing out. As he was led away by a chain around his wrist, he felt his palm graze something familiar.

"No . . ."

He was holding a giant marshmallow. His Adam's apple trembled.

"I know what this is . . ."

Suddenly, the grass twisted into bony, old hands. They grabbed for his face, too weak to hold him back, but dangerous all the same.

"No, no, no!"

Eli, calm down!

Tears trickled down his cheeks.

"Please, no!"

The hands grabbed at his shirt, pulling him down into darkness. He whimpered, then with a terrible cry, swung the marshmallow. As it made contact with the arms, they dissolved into ash. When he looked down, he was holding a clump of feathers.

"No . . ."

Eli, are you okay?

He tried to lift his foot, but it was stuck. The ground was bubbling around him. It was turning into blood.

"NO! . . ."

It frothed and spat at him like lava. He thrashed around in panic. It started pulling him under.

"HELP!"

As it reached his waist, he felt a hand holding his.

Eli, you're okay. Calm down.

"It's gonna pull me under!"

There's nothing there!

It was up to his neck now. He closed his eyes.

"I knew this was coming. Just let me drown."

Eli!

He let go of the hand, but before he was sucked into the whirlpool of blood, he felt someone caressing his chest.

Eli, you're okay. I'm here.

He choked.

"Why? You saw what I did. I'm a _monster_. I can't help myself."

Yes, you can, Eli. And if you ever feel like you're not strong enough, I'll help you. I love you.

Suddenly, the world changed into a foggy version of the hotel room. Seeing Claire in front of him, Eli breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's okay. I'm back."

"You never left."

He gulped.

"Claire, do you _really_ love me?"

"Of course!" she replied, batting all six eyes, "Why _wouldn't_ I love you?"

He frowned cynically.

"I can think of many, _many_ reasons."

She draped a tentacle over his shoulder.

"Eli, the past is in the past. I don't condone your actions, but I've forgiven you. The only thing that matters is what we do _now_."

"God, Claire, I'm _so_ sorry . . ."

He leaned forward for a kiss. Claire hummed.

"Eli, why are you sucking on my horn?"

He reached out with his paw. She took it in hers.

"Claire, I can't tell you how much I regret everything I did to you."

"Eli, you don't have to-"

"Is it _wrong_ that we're together? I'm _afraid_ , Claire. I don't want to hurt you again."

"But you _wouldn't_ . . . would you?"

He shook his head.

"Not on purpose, but what if I make a mistake? How do I know you won't leave me then?"

"Eli, I-"

"I just know I'm gonna fuck this up like I fuck up everything. I've already sent you to the hospital."

"That wasn't your fault."

"But it's _my_ fault I _stayed_ with you after that. There's something horribly wrong with me, thinking I can live a happy life. I don't _deserve_ that."

"Eli, you deserve to be happy. You've changed."

"But I shouldn't have been bad in the first place, you know? It's like, if I wasn't decent from the start, nothing else matters. I wish I could just hit reset on everything, but I can't, and sometimes I wonder if the only way out is to die."

He grunted as she flung her arms around his neck.

"Eli, whatever you do, don't die. I know it's not easy, but we can find a way to make this work. I love you, and I am so, _so_ lucky to have you."

"God, me too," he gurgled, "Without you, I'd be mean or dead or something. You make my life worth living. Without you, I wouldn't have a reason to wake up in the morning. Please, don't ever go away, Cl- Clayre. Am I saying that right? I feel like I messed it up. Clur . . . Clar . . . Deedring . . . Clard Reedring . . . Clearing- That's a real word! I did it!"

Claire smiled and kissed his nose.

"That, you did. I'm proud of you."

He fell over her shoulder, moaning happily.

"We fixed everything, didn't we? Now we can get married and buy a house and have kids."

"Um-"

"You have the kids, I'll have the car- Wait, we don't need a car. I forgot."

Claire laughed.

"Eli, I hope you're just super high right now, because I'm not ready for that kind of commitment."

"Thats okay, that's okay . . . New plan: you buy the house and _I'll_ have the kids. Do you think I can get pregnant? Do dinosaurs get pregnant?"

" _Cars_ don't . . ."

Suddenly, Eli's eyes migrated apart.

"Oh my god . . . I _am_ the car . . ."

Claire waved her paw in front of his face.

"Eli? . . ."

"Whoah . . . Claire, I'm, like, a car _and_ a person. I'm two parts of the family, Claire. That's like if your dog was your house. We should live in a dog, Claire."

"I don't think that's a good idea . . ." she giggled.

"Oh, Claire, we're all set! Crap, which one of us is having the kids, again?"

"Neither."

"We'll just make another Maisie, then."

He gasped.

"Wait! . . . TWO Maisie's!"

"Eli . . ."

"No, think about it! If you have two Maisie's, that's twice the normal amount of Maisie per square inch!"

Claire smiled.

"We could always bump it up to three."

Eli's mouth hung open.

"You just blew my mind . . ."

Claire stroked his head, and he stared into the distance.

"Oh my gosh, Claire, we can have SO many Maisie's. If we build a big enough house, we can just keep making Maisie's forever."

"Well, I still need help with the already-existing Maisie."

Eli rolled onto his back.

"Aw, but _that_ one doesn't like me . . ."

"Well . . ."

"I really blew it with her. Can't we just start over?"

"And keep making Maisie's until we find one that likes you?"

Eli considered it, then gulped.

"What if none of the Maisie's like me?"

"As long as you don't lock them in their rooms, I'm sure they'll be fine . . ."

Eli's lip began to quiver.

"Everyone hates me . . ."

"No, they don't."

Tears trickled down his cheeks.

"Claire, you should keep all the Maisie's. I know how much you love her, and I'll clone a _billion_ Maisie's if it'll make you happy."

"One's enough."

"You deserve more, though, Claire. But you _can't_ have any more, because we're _always_ together, and she _hates_ me . . ."

He started bawling.

"I'm ruining your life!"

"Eli, no . . ."

"If I had just stayed dead, you'd be living happily ever after on a Maisie-farm with Owen!"

"Eli, forget Owen. He had his chance, and-"

"But you _love_ him!"

She pinned his snout to the bed with her paw.

"And I love you _too_ , Eli. We belong-"

He shook himself free.

"No, no! You're wrong! Your life would be so much better with Owen, because I wouldn't be _in_ it!"

She grabbed his cheeks and kissed him furiously.

"Don't you say things like that! Don't you ever fucking say things like that . . ."

He choked, eyebrows wiping away his tears.

"I don't understand you, Claire. I don't understand why you love me."

"Why not?"

"Because _I_ don't even love me, and I'm _me!_ "

He blinked.

"Oh, fuck. I forgot my name. Is that normal? . . ."

Claire sighed and laid him down.

"Listen, Eli-"

"Wait! I remember it now!"

"Yes, good. That's good. But you need to get some sleep, okay?"

"Mmm . . ."

She ran her paw down his neck.

"There you go, there you go . . ."

"Will you stay with me, Claire?"

"Of course."

"Forever?"

"Absolutely."

"Good . . . I forgot what I was going to say . . ."

"That's alright."

"You're really pretty . . ."

"Thank you."

"I'm gonna go to bed now."

She kissed his forehead.

"Sweet dreams."

He smiled and nuzzled her chest.

"Goodnight, Claire. I love you."

"I love you, too."

***TSJWFEW***

I was amazed by how much Eli had changed over the past year. Witnessing his transformation in a compressed timeframe made me appreciate just how far he'd come, and although I was unhappy with Moonwatcher's actions . . . Well, I could see why she did what she did, wrong as it was. Memory was, as Moonwatcher said, a kind of time machine, allowing people to call back the way things had been, if perhaps in an unreliable and distorted form. Remembering my past actions conjured up feelings of shame and regret, but in a way, that was a _good_ thing. It meant that I would never be like that past version of myself again, because I had learned and changed and grown as a person. It meant that I was my best self, and that I could be even _better_. Even if change was gradual, even if looking back hurt sometimes, it was a wonderful thing, in the end. Change had brought me to Maisie, to Eli, and even to Owen, before that whole relationship fell apart. I was better for having evolved in the way I did, and so were my friends and family. Other people could be better, too. That's why I took Eli's advice and returned to the lab to try to reform Henry Wu. He was bitter and condescending and full of himself, but if he decided to make a change, I had no doubt that he'd be another Gunnar, or Wheatley, in a worst-case scenario.

"You're wasting your time, Claire," Wu sneered.

"Well, that's entirely up to you. If you decide that it's worth putting up with us to get out of here, maybe you'll warm up to the idea. We might even be _friends_ , someday."

"Unlikely. You never appreciated my work."

"I think you could do a lot of good here. If you can somehow study these dinosaurs in a non-intrusive way, you could help them adapt to this new world. I'll bet you could make miracles happen in a medical capacity."

"There's no such thing as miracles, just planned occurrences that are too complex for most people to understand. I could blow any project out of the water, obviously, but what's the endgame? What do I _get_ out of this?"

"Freedom, friendship . . . money? . . ."

He scoffed.

"Nice try. You people are always promising fame and glory, but you never let me carry out my operations the way I _want_ to. A year in, and all of a sudden, it's: 'We've cut funding!' or, 'I'm selling your prototype!' or, 'Don't put cat DNA into that pachycephalosaurus, Wu! I have allergies!'"

"Is that a _real_ example? It seems too specific to be made-up."

He lowered his head.

"It's real. All I wanted was to carry out my experiments without interference, but nobody ever gave me that opportunity."

"Well, if you promise not to create hyper-violent militarized dinosaurs anymore, maybe we could find a compromise."

"I don't _want_ a compromise. I want _respect_."

"Respect is a two-way street. Maybe people would respect your work more if it was used to make something good."

"What, like a _regular_ dinosaur?"

"Like a life-saving dinosaur-drug . . . or a pachycephalosaurus-cat, if that's what you want."

The corners of his mouth twitched.

"Well, it _would_ make them a lot more agile."

I smiled.

"I'm sure there are lots of people looking to adopt that _exact_ dinosaur."

"As a child or as a pet?"

"Child. You could bring so much joy into people's lives, if you thought about what would be best for the world, instead of . . . what you were doing before."

". . . I'll think about it. But it doesn't seem like you actually _care_ about me."

"Well, you _did_ cause two major disasters . . . but nobody's perfect. I'm willing to forgive, if you're willing to do better."

"We'll see. We'll see."

I nodded.

"Thanks, Henry. I hope we can learn to get along, someday."

"Same goes for me," Eli added, "Our friend group could really use a . . . thing-on-the-back-a-saurus."

"Spinosaurus."

"Spineysaurus. Exactly."

Wu slapped his forehead.

Hearing footsteps, I perked up.

"I think we have a visitor!"

I beamed as Maisie came running into the lab. She flung her arms around my neck.

"Mommy . . ."

I nuzzled her gently.

"It's good to see you, too. How was your day?"

"Amazing! Zia and Franklin taught me how to fish!"

"That's great, sweetheart. Did they walk you here?"

"Mhm. They're waiting outside. They said that if you're done work, we can get nachos!"

"Sounds like a plan."

As I leaned in to nuzzle her again, I heard a new voice echo from across the room.

"Maisie? . . ."

Slowly, we all turned to face the cage at the back of the lab. The purple hybrid was staring at us, suddenly alert. His eyes fell on my daughter.

"Maisie, you're here . . ." he whispered.

She started quivering.

"Grandpa? . . ."

I have never smelled so much fear in a room. This changed everything. I found myself incapable of uttering a single word.

And then I remembered Eli.

He was standing there, frozen in place, drenched in a cold sweat. His eyes were fixed ahead. I tried to touch his arm, but he took no notice. Soon, the dinosaur in the cage met his gaze.

" _You_ . . ."

Eli's throat quivered.

"I- I-"

"HE MURDERED ME! GET HIM! _GET HIM!_ "

Eli bolted through the doors, screeching down the hall. I heard him round a corner as I made a dash for him, but remembering Maisie, I spun around. I saw her sitting on the ground, covering her ears and sobbing. Quickly, I nabbed her by the hood of her sweater and draped her over my back, taking her away from the trumpeting dinosaur. He called after her.

"MAISIE! MAISIE! DON'T YOU TAKE HER AWAY FROM ME, YOU MONSTER!"

I didn't turn back. My throat was dry and my heart was pounding.

Things were about to get messy.


	21. Benjamin's Cushy Pillow Head

I licked Maisie's cheek as she sat at the edge of a marsh, knees pressed against her chest. She had stopped shaking, and was currently staring down at the murky water with distant eyes. Nuzzling her gently, I draped my chin over her head.

"Maisie, everything is going to be okay. We just need to figure things out."

"I don't want to lose you."

I swallowed.

"You won't. Your grandfather-"

"He called you a monster, Mum. He's trying to keep us apart."

"Well, I won't let him."

"But do I _belong_ to him?"

"You don't belong to _anyone_. You have the right to choose."

She whimpered.

"I'm afraid! . . ."

I gave her a hug.

"Don't worry, Maisie. I'm going to go back in there and sort this out. In the meantime, why don't you stay with Zia and Franklin?"

She peered at the two of them, who were grazing in a field adjacent to us, pretending not to be listening in on our conversation. Slowly, she nodded.

"Okay, Mummy. I love you."

I tried to keep my voice from breaking.

"I love you, too."

***TSJWFKFEW***

As Claire disappeared into the tall grass, Maisie stood up and wandered towards the grazing dinosaurs. She kicked a rock into the marsh idly.

"Ow!"

She stumbled backwards with surprise when Moonwatcher appeared from underneath a lily pad, wearing a snorkel.

"Don't tell your mother I'm following her. She thinks I've limited the narration to a few select passages."

"Moonwatcher, go away!" Maisie shouted.

She rolled her eyes, stepping out of the water.

"Fine, fine . . . but just so you know, someone needs your help right now. You'll find him in the barn."

Maisie frowned with puzzlement, then turned to an old, rickety building across the marsh. She looked back at Zia and Franklin, then made her way up the hill.

When she reached the barn, she noticed that the door was ajar, and that something had scraped the edges on its way inside. She ran her fingers over the splintered wood, then squeezed through the narrow opening. The building was dark, but she could make out several stacks of hay. A reddish shape lay among them. She knelt beside Eli's head and started stroking his snout.

"Are you okay? . . ."

He didn't so much as blink.

"No, Maisie, I'm _not_ okay. But this is all my fault, so don't you worry about it. Go find your mother."

"She's talking to grandpa. I'm supposed to be with Zia and Franklin."

"Then go find _them_. Just don't stay here, or-"

He bit his lip.

"Or, what?" Maisie asked.

"Or your grandfather might get angry."

"Oh."

She looked back at the glowing crack between the doors, then rolled onto her elbow.

"I'd rather stay here."

"Why?"

"Because _I'm_ afraid, too."

Eli frowned with puzzlement.

"Maisie, you have no reason to be afraid. You didn't do anything wrong."

"That's just it, though. I may not have done anything _wrong_ , but I don't think he's happy with the way that I _am_."

"Well, you don't have to come out to him, if-"

"It's not _just_ that. I mean, I'm not _his_. Maybe he _made_ me, but I'm not the same person as his daughter . . . _my mother_ was."

"Yeah, but-"

"I belong to him as much as I belong to anyone else, and I'm not sure _he's_ the parent I _want_."

"Oh. I see. Well, it's up to you, sweetheart."

She twirled a strand of hay around her finger.

"People keep _saying_ that, but it's not _really_ my decision, is it? I know how much money he has, and if he finds a way to buy me back-"

"Sweetheart, he's a dinosaur locked in a cage. I don't think he has the power to buy you back, right now, even if that was legal."

"Well, I don't know much about laws, but I know that he wants me, and I know that he hates you, and he doesn't seem to like Claire that much, either."

Eli closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry if I messed this up for you. I guess you would've been better off with Owen, huh?"

"I don't want to choose. And I'd rather not have to choose between Claire and Grandpa, either, but I don't think he's going to cooperate."

Eli stared at the ground.

"Maybe if _I_ was gone, this-"

She poked his nose.

"Stop it! Mum would be _miserable_ without you."

He sighed.

"Oh, Maisie, things would have been so perfect if I hadn't messed it all up. If I had just stopped myself before it was too late, I could have raised you with Claire, legally, and-"

"But you would have never _met_ her, if you didn't try to sell the dinosaurs."

Eli stood.

". . . Well, then, maybe you'd have been better off if I'd never come into your life at all! I should have died before any of this happened. If I was gone, things would be a lot better, but every time I come close, I somehow stay alive, and I continue to ruin everyone's-"

He fell silent as she hugged his wheel.

"Don't _say_ that! We _need_ you!"

"No, you don't. Owen would be better for you, anyway, and- Christ, I shouldn't be having this conversation with a _child_. Go home, Maisie, and don't bother me anymore!"

He was about to leave, but he heard Maisie sniffling, and turned his head slowly. She stared up at him with wet eyes, lip trembling.

"Oh, Maisie, don't cry . . ."

She started sobbing, and he bent over to give her a hug.

"I'm sorry, Maisie. I didn't mean to yell."

He sighed as she continued to weep into his treads. He reached down to pat her back.

"You just ignore me, Maisie. My problems have nothing to do with you. If you need me, I'll be here for you, okay?"

She nodded.

"Okay," Eli muttered, "I'm sorry about all of this. But I promise, Maisie, I'm going to try to make things right. Whatever happens, I'll make sure that you end up with Claire. You need your mother, and she needs you. Everything's gonna be alright. You'll see."

He didn't believe his own words, but-

They yelped as a beam broke above them. Moonwatcher dropped to the ground.

"Ow . . ."

"MOONWATCHER!" they shouted in unison.

She stood up slowly, rubbing her back.

"Agh . . . Well, YOU try narrating in secret, and see how well it works out! Gosh, you people are finicky!"

***TSJWFKFEW***

Explaining my situation to Benjamin Lockwood was an experience I never want to relive. I don't think I've ever been so stressed during a conversation before, but then again, the stakes were high. If things turned south, I could lose my daughter. Presently, I had explained my new body, but I had avoided discussing Owen and Eli, the former because his presence in our parenting web was questionable, and the latter because . . . Well, you know. Being an elderly person, Lockwood was having trouble adjusting to this sudden change of pace . . . Hell, _I_ was in his place a few months ago, so I have no room to judge.

"But I'm . . . I'm not supposed to _be_ a dinosaur. Can't someone change me back?"

He honked with surprise as Moonwatcher dropped from the ceiling, out of breath and covered in hay.

"We can't- change you back- but you're not- entirely a dinosaur."

"I'm not?"

She tapped his plush forehead.

"You're part pillow, and if I had to guess . . ."

She pulled a device out of her pocket and tapped it quickly. Lockwood's skull began to buzz.

"Yeah, part phone. You become whatever kills you."

"I wasn't killed by dinosaurs."

"The virus probably detected that dinosaurs were missing from the equation, and filled them in for you."

"But I never even _touched_ -"

"Just accept my explanation, okay?"

I frowned.

"Wait, if he became what killed him, why is he not a goose? I assume there were feathers in the pillow. Why is he not part air, part bed, part clothes-"

"Or part Eli? I dunno."

Oh, shit. Why'd she bring that up?

Lockwood's face hardened.

"Have you caught him yet?"

Moonwatcher blew a raspberry.

"Naw, there's no reason to chase him, since we consider him a 'good guy' now. Also, he's dating Claire and is on his way to becoming Maisie's parent."

My jaw dropped.

"WHY WOULD YOU-"

"Gotta break it to him _sometime_. Anyway, thanks for leaving me on a deserted island, ya cunt!"

She ran out the doors, flipping me off with both hands. I tried to avoid Lockwood's stare, but it burned through me like I was made of paper.

"Is this true?" he whispered.

I nodded.

"Yes, but-"

"You think you can just _take_ my child and raise her with the man who _killed_ me? _Look_ at you! You're not fit to be a parent!"

I growled through tears.

"You're wrong! . . ."

"You will give Maisie back right now, or-"

I snapped at him. He stumbled backwards.

"Or _what?_ You'll come charging out and take her back? You're _never_ getting out of there! Maisie is happy with her family, and _you're_ not a part of it!"

I know I was upset, but in hindsight, I regret saying that. Lockwood wasn't too pleased with me, either.

"You're a monster . . ."

" _Maisie_ doesn't think so."

"Maisie is a _child_. You're _ruining_ her."

"She's happy with me. She _loves_ me."

"Only because she doesn't know any better!"

Suddenly, Moonwatcher came running through the doors.

"I forgot to mention that Eli used to have AIDS and is bisexual, and Maisie is bisexual, too. Also, Claire has violent impulses."

I made a grab for her, but she shimmied up the wall like a spider.

"SEE? SEE?"

A loud stomp got our attention. Henry Wu glared at us from his cage, sail flushed with blood.

"Will you two stop it?! Moonwatcher, I know you're trying to get a rise out of Claire, but it's gross, so shut your mouth! And Claire, don't give her the satisfaction! You're better than this!"

I grumbled under my breath and stepped away from a panicked Moonwatcher. She slipped to the ground. I was about to take another snap at her, but I heard someone weeping softly. It was Lockwood. His head was bent low, and dinosaur-sized tears were pouring out of his eyes. I approached him cautiously.

"Mr. Lockwood? . . ."

"Why have you _done_ this? . . ."

"Mr. Lockwood, I-"

"I did my best to raise her right, and you had to go and undo it all."

"I didn't-"

"It's bad enough that you had _Eli_ raise her, but now he's _corrupted_ her, and-"

I glared at him.

"Now, hang on! Eli being bisexual has _nothing_ to do with Maisie. I'm willing to bet the _first_ Maisie was also-"

"SHE WAS _CONFUSED!_ I TOLD HER THAT WE COULD FIX HER, BUT SHE WOULDN'T LISTEN, AND SHE DROVE AWAY IN A PANIC, AND- AND-"

He fell to the floor of his cage, shaking hysterically.

"I had a second chance, and now you've taken that away from me."

I crouched down to meet his eyes.

"You can't make her into something she's not."

He wailed.

"And it's my fault . . . It's _my_ fault . . . John told me it was a sin, but I- I thought-"

He covered his face with his front foot.

"I was _wrong_. It was an affront to God, and now Maisie's suffering, too."

Moonwatcher cocked her head.

"Hey, how did that go down, exactly? I mean, Maisie was born AFTER Hammond died, so- Oh, OH! I get it now. Subtext!"

She blinked as we stared at her.

"I'll show myself out."

As she waddled away, I turned back to Lockwood.

"Please . . . I know you love Maisie, and I don't want to take her away from you, but _I_ love her too, and . . . and I think we can find a way to make this work. Please, Mr. Lockwood, don't tear us apart."

He turned his head away.

"Take her, then. If you're set on breaking my heart, be done with it. Then you can let me die, and you'll have everything you ever wanted."

"No . . ."

He lowered his head.

"Leave me."

I bit my beak.

"Maybe I could bring Maisie here? . . ."

"I would like to speak with Mr. Grady."

"About what?"

"Nevermind. Just bring him to me."

I nodded and lumbered out of the lab, tail dragging.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Benjamin Lockwood wasn't sure exactly which part of his condition was the most upsetting. Having a pillow for a forehead seemed a cruel twist of fate, but the wheelchair was . . . well, something else. He didn't actually take issue with being in a wheelchair, on its own. He'd been using it for years before his death and return to life, along with a plethora of other devices and medicines he needed in his old age. They hadn't interfered with his ability to take care of Maisie, or his estate, after all! But since becoming a dinosaur . . .

To put it plainly, Moonwatcher hadn't bothered to adapt the wheelchair to his saurian body. He was still using the same one he had as a human, which forced him to crouch awkwardly with his legs folded at a difficult angle, tail squeezed through the back like a hunk of celery stuck in a cheerio. He'd asked about it once or twice, but Moonwatcher had asserted that it was important for him to keep using this one, uncomfortable as it was. When he asked why, she simply waved her arms and said, "symbolism."

Whatever the reason, he was not in an excellent mood, which made his meeting with Owen Grady perhaps more difficult than it should have been.

"Mr. Lockwood? You wanted to see me about Maisie."

"Yes, thank you for coming. It's a matter of her custody."

"Of course. You must've had plans in place before . . . all of this happened."

"Naturally so. She has no surviving family other than myself. She's both a daughter _and_ granddaughter to me, but I'm an old man. I knew full well that I wouldn't be able to care for her for much longer. Iris, of course, would have been her primary caretaker after that, but I'd hoped that Mr. Mills would, as you say, step up to the plate. Now that we know about his actions, however . . ."

". . . He's not exactly your ideal candidate. I understand. Claire and me, though, we've been doing the best we can, and Iris is still around, taking care of Maisie and stuff."

"I appreciate the effort you've put in. I truly do. I believe that you're a good man, Mr. Grady, but I'm not sure Maisie is best off being raised by . . . well, by a woodsman."

Owen stiffened.

"I'm ex-Navy."

"Dishonorable discharge, I'm told."

"Well, technically yes, but I took the fall to protect-"

"How would you describe Claire's relationship to Mr. Mills?"

Owen scratched his neck.

"Claire and Eli have . . . grown close," Owen admitted reluctantly.

"I understand that you and Claire were involved with one another, on a few occasions. In your own opinion, is Claire in a _stable_ relationship now?"

Owen wasn't sure how to respond. If all this weirdness hadn't gotten in the way, he and Claire might still be together. On the other hand, she seemed to be doing alright without him, as much as he hated to admit it. That being said-

"It's not _my_ fault I'm not attracted to dinosaurs!" he blurted out, "She's with Eli now because _he's_ a dinosaur too, and I'm . . . not able to _be_ one. I don't even _want_ to be one. I'm happy with who I am, but somehow, that's a bad thing from Claire's point of view. I want to be the man she deserves, but . . . but I can't be what she needs right now."

"Perhaps, but maybe the situation is somewhat more nuanced. Nonetheless, I do like Claire quite a lot, but her involvement with Mr. Mills is concerning."

Owen tried to look confident.

"Claire's very capable. She can take care of Maisie, whether Eli is there or not. She's not like she was when she first transformed. She can control her impulses."

Lockwood sneezed, plucking a down feather out of his nose.

"I understand your position, but you must understand that I will put Maisie's safety and well-being before all else. Claire would have been an ideal guardian before we were all subject to these strange circumstances, but the situation has changed to the point where I'm not sure who to trust. We are no longer the people we once were. The odd girl who runs this place ensured me that I cannot die unless it is- ahem- _dramatic_ enough, but Maisie is an energetic child, and I simply cannot keep pace in my current state, being in a new body and all that. If I were given a wheelchair which suits my current frame, perhaps I could care for Maisie myself, but in this shape, and as you all are now, I believe it's best to consider . . . _other_ alternatives."

The doors opened, and Eli rolled in, looking slightly out of breath.

"Sorry! I know I was supposed to be here sooner, but I-"

He stopped, looking between Owen and Lockwood.

"Am I . . . interrupting something?"

Owen shook his head.

"Naw, you go ahead. I'm sure you have a lot to talk about."

Eli gulped.

"Maisie's waiting outside."

"Alright."

Lockwood craned his neck to try to catch a glimpse of his granddaughter, but was disappointed. Instead, he turned to Eli with tired eyes.

"Before we begin, I must warn you that my voice carries, and if you try anything-"

"I won't, sir."

He gazed at him skeptically.

"I'm not sure I trust you, Mr. Mills . . ."

"In your place, I'm not sure _I_ would, either. But I promise, I mean you no harm."

"I highly doubt that. Was this your plan from the start? To take my life because you felt that I had taken _yours?_ "

"No."

"Then you intended to carry out the murder as vengeance?"

"No!"

" _Why,_ then? Why did you _kill_ me?!"

Eli tossed his head.

"I don't _know!_ I've asked myself the same question so many times, but the answer I always come to is that I was desperate, that I was a coward, and I did it to protect _myself!_ I didn't plan it out- I didn't even WANT to do it! So there's my big secret: I'm just a terrible person, and there's nothing more to it!"

He turned away, weeping. After a pause, he lifted his head.

"You might not believe it, but many times, I've imagined what I would say to you, if we somehow met again. I ran over all the possibilities in my mind, but I never expected it to be _real_. And now we've been talking it over, and I haven't even managed to tell you that I'm sorry yet."

Lockwood looked down. Eli sniffled, then stood up straight.

"Listen, this isn't _about_ me. You can hate me for as long as we're living, and that's fine. I can take it. But don't take it out on Claire. She loves Maisie, and Maisie loves _her_. They deserve to be together. I'll do anything it takes to stop them from being separated, even if it means . . . even if it means stepping out of the picture. Do what you must, but don't take Maisie away from her mother."

After a long silence, Lockwood lifted his head.

"Eli, I can't condone your continued involvement in-"

He didn't stick around to hear the rest. Bursting through the lab doors, he sped down the hallway, then rolled into a bright afternoon glow. Claire was on her way to the lab, and he was glad that she had decided to come back, but at the same time, his heart ached with regret. He collapsed in front of her, and she cradled his head with concern.

"C-Claire . . . I'm s-so sorry . . ."

"What happened?" she whispered.

"It-it doesn't matter. You'll get to be with M-Maisie."

She frowned.

"Eli, what did Lockwood _say?_ . . ."

He sniffled.

"We can't be together anymore," he quavered, "I'm sorry, Claire, for messing this up, but I made a mistake, and I need to pay for it. You've been the best part of my life. I'm going to miss you."

She nuzzled his forehead as he burst into tears. Running her paw down his neck, she glared in the direction of Lockwood's new home.

"Eli, I'm not going to let him do this."

He shook his head fiercely.

"No, Claire, don't fight it! You can't lose Maisie! She _needs_ you, even if . . ."

She scowled as he started sobbing again.

"Eli, you're a mess."

"I know!" he wailed.

"You don't deserve this. You've changed. Let me help you."

"But Maisie-"

"I'm not giving you up, and I'm not giving _Maisie_ up, either."

"But Claire-"

She shut him up with a kiss.

"Eli, I love you, and I'm not going to let some old man stand between-"

She fell silent as Lockwood rolled out of the lab. After a short struggle, he managed to drag himself towards them using his front feet.

"Claire, Eli . . ."

Eli stood.

"I was about to leave-"

Lockwood tried to grab his tail, but settled on a stern trumpet.

"Stay."

Eli turned around hesitantly. Lockwood took a deep breath.

"I don't know what to do. Everything's changed now, and I . . . I'm struggling to keep up."

Claire nodded.

"I understand. It may take some getting used to, but if you just wait and see, I'm sure you'll come to accept the way things are now."

He didn't reply. Claire closed her eyes.

"I know this is hard for you, but Maisie is happy, and I think she has a good life with us."

". . . Can I see her?"

"Of course. She's with Owen right now, but we can call her over."

"No need!"

Owen emerged from behind the lab's side wall.

"The gang's all here."

Maisie peeked out from behind Owen's waist. She shrunk away when her grandfather made eye contact with her.

"Maisie . . ."

She gulped and stepped into view.

"I'm here, grandpa."

He reached out, and she tiptoed towards him hesitantly. After a pause, she agreed to a hug.

"Maisie, are you happy here?"

"Yes."

"Are you happy with Claire?"

"Yes."

"Are you happy with Iris and Owen and Eli?"

"Yes."

". . . And do you need _me_ anymore?"

"Yes."

He sighed.

"Then I suppose we're all staying."

Eli did a double-take.

"What? Just like that?"

Lockwood nodded sadly.

"Yes, just like that. I think we've all suffered enough. I'm not thrilled about this, but if Maisie's happy, I can learn to be happy, too."

Eli cleared his throat.

"I just want to make it clear that I'm _really_ sorry about-"

"I said you could stay. I never said you could _talk_."

Eli bowed his head in shame. Lockwood frowned.

"That was a joke."

Eli blinked.

"Oh. Because if you want me to shut up, I can-"

"Actually, that would be nice."

He tried to pull himself forward, but the wheelchair collapsed beneath him. He sighed.

"Can someone get me a cane?"

Claire reached out and picked him up by the waist, draping him over Eli's head. The two of them sat petrified for a moment, but Lockwood gave up and let out a defeated sigh.

"Fine. Just take me to Iris."

The five of them began their journey to the hotel, not in the greatest of moods, but not in the direst of situations, either.

Considering everything that had come to pass, it was a fairly decent ending to their day.


	22. Dory's Shiny Golden Scales

I had yet to determine whether having heightened senses was a blessing or a curse. On one hand, I could detect a greater range of happenings with minimal effort. On the other hand, I didn't always like my discoveries. I never really considered myself the eavesdropping type, but sometimes, it was a matter of personal safety. I hated to break the trust of those close to me, but if they were talking behind my back, that trust wasn't so sturdy to begin with. That's why I listened in on a conversation between Zia and Mr. Lockwood from outside the latter's newly-assigned hotel room.

"Just leave me. I know Moonwatcher only told you to come here because no one else wanted to."

"They were busy, but I'm sure they'd love to spend time with-"

"Not Maisie. She prefers Claire. She doesn't _want_ me anymore."

" _Of course_ she does . . ."

"Why _would_ she, when she's becoming- becoming a-"

"Do I need to sing you the gay song, or are we gonna sidestep the bigotry for now?"

". . . You see? No one wants me. I can't keep up with this world, and the people I love are slowly slipping away from me."

"You could just have an open heart, though."

"I'm afraid that it might be too late to start. Even if I could find a way to un-learn my habits, Moonwatcher is making it very difficult for me to live happily. Why does she hate us so?"

"No idea. Has she been giving you trouble, then?"

"She made me wipe with seashells."

". . . Oh. That's not very cash money."

"No, indeed, it is not 'cash money'. She wants me gone, I just know it! I'll bet she's trying to get Claire to attack me, too."

"Claire wouldn't do _that_ . . ."

"I wish I could be so confident, but I've seen the way she looks at me. And now she's with Eli, and we all know what _he_ did. I'll be dead within the week, and Maisie will be left in the care of two killers."

Part of me wanted to stay and hear Zia's rebuttal, but my heart was slowly breaking, and I had no right listening in on the conversation anyway. I marched down the hall, flexing my claws every now and then as I twitched with anger. I batted at the air, tearing apart an invisible opponent. Well, invisible in the sense that no one but myself knew who I was imagining out of thin air. And I hated that I was almost doing _exactly_ what he said I'd do, but the anger he aroused in me was consuming my heart. I bared my teeth, grinding them with frustration as I stepped into the elevator.

(Come on, Claire, don't do this. Calm down.)

I bent my fingers into hooks, trembling with rage.

(He thinks I'm a killer . . .)

(So _don't_ be.)

(He has no right to say those things! What has he been telling Maisie?)

(Calm down, calm down. He can't turn her against me. She's my daughter. She loves me.)

(And he's trying to TAKE her from me!)

(I'll make him sorry!)

(I'll make them all-)

"Mummy?"

I snapped to attention as Maisie stepped in front of me. I looked around.

"Maisie, were you sitting alone in the lobby?"

"Mhm. Owen told me to wait here, because Moonwatcher has something she wants to show him. Can we play?"

I rubbed my forehead. It was pounding like it never had before.

"Maisie, I'm not feeling well. Can this wait?"

"Aw, but Mum, I wanted to go to the pond and-"

"Maybe some other time."

"But Mum, Owen says it's gonna rain tomorrow, and-"

"Maisie, not right now."

"-the minnows, and I'm not sure I'll have another chance to-"

"Maisie, stop."

"Please, please, please, Mum, I-"

"I SAID NOT NOW!"

 _SNAP._

I didn't mean to do it. I didn't even realize what had happened until I heard her shriek. I looked down and saw her cradling her arm, eyes wide. A half-moon-shaped cluster of red perforations had appeared on her skin, not deep enough to do any physical damage, but _emotional_ damage, on the other hand . . .

The bite had clearly been intended as a warning, but that didn't make it any better. As the severity of my outburst washed over me, I stumbled backwards on shaky legs, covering my beak. Maisie looked down at her bleeding arm with misty eyes.

"Mum . . ."

"Find Owen. Tell him what happened."

She whimpered.

"But Mum-"

"You need to get away from me _right now._ "

Her lip quivered. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I touched her face gently with my front horn.

"I love you, Maisie. I'm sorry. Go on. Find Owen. He'll know what to do."

She nodded, squealing under her breath, and ran out of the hotel, still holding her arm. I watched her go, waiting for her to be out of sight before breaking down in tears.

***TSJWFKFEW***

"Owen, you remember your father, right?"

He narrowed his eyes as Moonwatcher led him through an empty barn and into a dirt-covered pen.

"Of course I remember my father. Why?"

"You had a lot of problems when he was around, correct?"

"Well, we didn't exactly get along, if _that's_ what you're asking . . ."

"And how would you describe your relationship now?"

He grunted.

"Well, clearly, you already know, what with you being uncomfortably involved in our lives and all."

She snapped her fingers.

"Right, you are, Owen. I know all about the way your father treated you, and how it fed into your current self-esteem problems. Now, toxic people don't become toxic because of external forces alone, but I have a feeling that closure would do you a lot of good right now."

"So you're trying to force another Saturday Morning Cartoon lesson on me?"

"With magical realism, yes. When was the last time you saw your father?"

Owen stopped dead in his tracks.

"You didn't bring him here, did you?"

"I did."

Owen groaned, rubbing his forehead.

"Oh, Moonwatcher . . ."

"It's okay. He's incapable of hurting you."

"What, did you tie him to a post, or something?"

"Better."

She pointed at a pink body rolling around in the mud. Owen blinked.

"That's a pig."

Moonwatcher nodded slowly. After a beat, Owen's eyes went wide.

"Moonwatcher, did you turn my father into a pig?!"

"Eeyup!"

Owen sighed and marched up to the hog. It paused to look at him, then went back to rolling around in the muck.

"Are you _sure_ you have the right pig?"

"Positive."

"He doesn't seem too bothered, not that I expected anything more."

"That's because I erased his memory. As far as he knows, he was _always_ a pig. The person he used to be is dead, though he can easily be restored to his former state."

"Okay, so what's the point of this exercise?"

She smiled.

"YOU get to decide what happens to him."

Owen sighed.

"What are my options?"

"Change him back, feed him to Claire-"

"I'm not feeding my dad to Claire."

"Neither of them would know."

"But _I_ would. That's off the table."

"Well, if you want, he can end up on _someone's_ table. We can send him to a slaughterhouse-"

"That feels wrong."

"Okay, so we can release him into the wild and see how he fares."

"He'd probably get eaten."

"Yeah, but our hands would be clean, and _you'd_ get your closure."

"It's still the wrong thing to do."

"So you'd rather change him back? . . ."

After a pause, Owen hummed.

"Well, I'm not sure he deserves that, either. Can we maybe just leave him like this forever?"

"Sure."

"Great. Lesson learned. Can we go now?"

Moonwatcher cocked her head.

"Do you maybe wanna _say_ something to the pig?"

Owen rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, okay."

He turned to the hog.

"Hey, Dad! Thanks for nothing, you useless sack of meat! I hope you spend the rest of your days wallowing in shit, because that's what you deserve!"

"Nice."

Owen turned around.

"Hey, am I allowed to kick it?"

"Go ahead."

Owen was about to hop the fence when Maisie came running up the hill, sobbing fiercely. He glanced at Moonwatcher with worry, then went to see what was wrong.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Claire hadn't left the lobby. She figured it was best to stay put, in case they wanted to tranquillize her or something. She had stopped crying a little while ago, but her eyes were still burning. When Owen and Maisie came walking down the red carpet, she lifted her head.

"Hey, Claire."

She bit her lower beak.

"Owen, I am so, _so_ sorry-"

He held up his hand.

"That's okay. Accidents happen."

She batted her eyes.

"But- But Owen, I-"

"It's not your fault. This was beyond your control. It wasn't that serious, anyway, so we can just forget about it."

"I- Are you _sure?_ "

"Of course."

Claire's eyes darted back and forth.

"I- I thought you'd be _mad_ at me . . ."

"No, that wouldn't be fair. _I've_ made mistakes, too."

"But none as bad as this . . ."

Maisie, who was looking very nervous, spoke up.

"Mummy, he says it's okay."

Claire cocked her head.

" _Maisie_."

"It's okay, Mummy," she insisted, "I'm okay."

She looked doubtful, but Owen patted her snout.

"Don't worry, Claire. Everyone's fine. Let's focus on something else, alright?"

She churred gently.

"Owen, I appreciate you being so calm, but what I did-"

"Look, if you're still freaked out, we can _both_ watch Maisie tomorrow."

"I can't believe you'd let me _near_ her, after this . . ."

Owen shrugged.

"Well, believe it."

Claire frowned.

"I just don't underst-"

Maisie kissed her front horn.

"Can we go to the pond, tomorrow?"

"Well, sure, but-"

"I don't think the rain will be too bad."

"I . . . Well, don't forget your umbrella, okay?"

She smiled.

"I won't, Mum!"

Claire stood frozen in place as the two of them left.

That was quite unexpected.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Being sufficiently spooked by the accident, Claire sought out the aid of someone whom she trusted with this type of issue. She travelled by boat to Isla Sorna and tracked Dory's scent to a small cave, where she found her former nemesis sleeping soundly.

"Dory?"

Amber eyes stared back at hers.

"You've come back."

"Yes, and I need your help. I'm sorry for leaving you here, but-"

"It was _my_ decision. Anyway, I'm quite happy on this island."

"Doesn't it get lonely?"

"No."

"Wouldn't you prefer someone of your own kind, here? I know that a lot of males do well with multiple females-"

"What are those?"

"Females?"

"And males."

"Well, a male is what _you_ are, and females-"

"I don't think so. Whatever these things are, I don't want to have anything to do with them. And I'm fine on my own, and calling myself neither."

"Oh. Well, I was hoping you could help me with-"

"I can't help you any more than I already have, I'm afraid. I've told you everything I know, but if it bears repeating, fine. You are better than you think you are, and if you sink into darkness, don't let it take hold of you for too long. There's always a way out, even if you can't see it, at first."

"Oh."

"Take care."

Neither of them said anything after that, but Dory's words rang through Claire's head all night, and into the day following. She had forgotten all about taking Maisie to the pond by the time the sun rose over Isla Nublar, but Owen reminded her, and asked to have a brief meeting beforehand, just to discuss how things were going.

Claire brought up the subject of school in the Visitors' Center restaurant. Owen had been watching Maisie the day prior, and this morning, he had brought her to breakfast, despite everything that had happened between her and Claire. She was currently off to the side of the patio, eating a breakfast pastry that- unfortunately- was shaped like her mother. This was probably by design, considering Moonwatcher's gauche merchandise, and Owen's lingering desire to get under his ex's scales. He thought he knew how to raise Maisie best, and given the disaster in the hotel lobby, he was probably right, but that didn't mean he had _everything_ figured out.

"You know, it's getting to the point where we really should think about getting her an education," Claire suggested.

"She's doing fine," Owen said, setting down his coffee, "Iris has been teaching her language and grammar, or whatever the British version of that is. Zia's teaching her about basic health and medicine, and she'll branch out once Maisie's older. Franklin's been teaching her early computer skills. I'm passing on some of the trade skills I picked up; it's more arts-and-crafts right now, but she's pretty clever. I think she's gonna be ready for the more complex stuff soon."

Claire rolled her eyes.

"Look, there's more to school than that. She'd be getting exposure to the wider world, other ways of thinking . . . she could make _friends_. Kids her age. Besides, she could benefit from learning from professional teachers, people who're-"

"Who're what?" Owen asked with a suspicious edge to his voice, "More _qualified?_ "

"I wouldn't call _you_ unqualified, and certainly not my friends. But they weren't trained specifically for teaching children, and neither were _you_ \- _or me_ , for that matter," she added quickly, "We don't even understand the mechanics of this world, really. Maybe it'd be best for her to learn from people who've been here for most of their lives."

"Like _dinosaurs?_ " Owen sneered, "Can't we find a human-only school?"

" _These_ dinosaurs are highly educated."

"Getting a fancy degree doesn't mean you're better qualified for anything. _I_ never went to college, and I turned out fine. I get that you're all about 'expanding your worldview' and 'having diverse social experiences,' but living a simpler life with us has done Maisie a lot of good. She used to be cramped in that teeny old multiple-acre estate, but now she can roam free. She's seeing more of the world, like one of those fish from the store that they keep in cups, only we got her a bowl."

"Yeah, but the world is an aquarium."

"Baby steps. Besides, Moonwatcher's been modifying the education system lately. You hear she banned biology classes?"

"In all fairness, she didn't _ban_ biology classes. She just edited the curriculum to avoid mentioning that things can become other things. I think she's been spending too much time with Jen. I get the feeling that this is somehow intended to get under the skin of me and my dinosaur-friends, but I'm not sure. She seems to have it out for Eli, specifically. It's weird. Also kind of implication-y, since she said that the only way she knows how to show love is by hurting people, which- yikes- but also, does that mean Eli is secretly her _favourite_? Or do abusers lie their asses off in _this_ universe, too?"

Owen hummed noncommittally. Claire decided to change the subject.

"Moonwatcher's quirks aside, Maisie needs a proper education. I truly believe that I'm a better, more well-rounded person for having had all the education I did. There's nothing wrong with being blue-collar, Owen, but is that _really_ the life that Maisie-"

"Now, hang on! Maisie may have grown up in a mansion, but total isolation didn't do her any favours."

"Which is why she needs to go to school."

"With HUMANS. You can't have her socializing with all these _dinosaurs_."

"Owen, you can't-"

They were interrupted by a shattering sound. While their backs were turned, Maisie had slumped out of her chair and fallen onto the floor, half-eaten Claire pastry lying among mangled fragments of the broken plate. Her parents shot each other a panicked look before running over to cradle their fallen child. Owen touched her forehead, then went to feel her pulse, only to reveal the bite-mark, which was starting to turn black.

"Oh my god . . ." he whispered.

Claire gasped, covering her mouth.

"This is my fault."

Owen's face fell.

" _You_ did this? When? How?"

Maisie came to life, pulling down her sleeve in panic. Claire's face contorted into a betrayed scowl.

"Maisie, you were supposed to tell him about the accident!"

"She said she fell in the playground while you weren't watching," Owen breathed, "She lied to me."

Maisie whimpered, reaching out for Claire.

"I didn't want him to send you away . . ."

Claire's eyes brimmed with tears.

"Maisie . . ."

She grabbed her daughter fearfully as she began to convulse. Owen leapt to his feet.

"We need a first aid kit!"

As he turned to run, however, something happened. Maisie's eyes ignited with a fiery glow, and she lashed out at Claire, growling fiercely. Sharp teeth appeared in her mouth, and quills slipped down the back of her neck. Claire screamed.

"HELP! SOMEBODY, HELP!"

Maisie's growling subsided, and her eyes returned to normal. The quills and teeth remained. Claire turned as Moonwatcher shot towards them, jumping onto the patio.

"Claire, what's going on?"

"I bit Maisie, and- and-"

She knelt beside the shivering child.

"Looks like she got infected. I thought this might happen. Owen, get away from her. It can only be transferred to humans, and she'll have more violent spells until she changes fully."

"Fully? . . ." Claire echoed.

"Into an Indoraptor. She'll lose her sense of self and become a complete monster if we don't cure her in time."

Claire covered her mouth.

"No . . ."

"It's okay. I know how to undo this. If we had a Lilylotusdrop, the white flower of Asterpara, this would be a quick fix, but they're too rare to track down in such a short amount of time, if at all. I know of a blue flower that will undo this infection if we find it in time, but we must feed it to her before she changes fully, or we won't have a hope of saving her."

Maisie whimpered.

"I don't want to die."

Moonwatcher patted her head.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. This isn't death, just something much, much worse. But we can fix you."

Claire nodded frantically.

"Where's this flower? How do we find it?"

Moonwatcher placed Maisie in her arms.

"Bring her to Iris. Explain the situation, make sure she can't escape. When you're done, meet me by the main portal. We're going to Asterpara."

She jogged away.

"I'm going to call Jen. She might know where to find the blue flowers. And I'll have her ride on your back, because time is of the essence!"

"How long do we have?" Claire shouted.

"Six hours!"

She stared down at a very frightened Maisie, whose eyes were wet with tears.

"Mommy . . ."

She kissed her forehead.

"I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

She turned to Owen.

"I'm sorry."

Deciding to waste no time, she dashed away, leaving him alone. With a heavy heart, he slipped his hands into his pockets and made his way up to the barn.

***TSJWFKFEW***

"The . . . blue . . . flowers . . . should . . . be . . . easy . . . enough . . . to . . . find," Jen drawled, "I . . . use . . . them . . . in . . . my . . . cooking."

Claire nodded rapidly.

"Where are they, Jen?"

"I . . . have . . . a . . . map."

She pulled a scroll out of her shell. The parchment was light purple, and the surface was covered in neon lines that ranged from pink to green to blue. Claire frowned.

"I've never seen a map like _this_ one before . . ."

Moonwatcher peeked over her shoulder.

"Looks like a Normal Map to me."

After a pause, she frowned.

"My jokes are wasted on you people."

Claire slapped the ground with her tail.

"No time for jokes. We have to save Maisie!"

***TSJWFKFEW***

Owen stared at his father, who was currently pushing filth around with his snout. He despised this wretched creature with all of his heart, and he was seriously considering Moonwatcher's offer to send him away to some meat factory.

"You know, I was told that I could feed you to a dinosaur. But I don't think Claire deserves that. It'd be too weird, and I'll bet your meat tastes awful."

The pig didn't answer.

"Should'a quit smoking, I guess. I'll bet whoever eats you is gonna get cancer."

The pig yawned and shook itself off. Owen's frown deepened.

"You don't _deserve_ to be eaten. I'd be letting you off the hook for everything you did. And you wouldn't even be around to appreciate how humiliating it would be. How about I send you to some poor family who can't afford to eat? It'd be the _only_ charitable thing to ever come out of your sorry life."

The pig collapsed on its side, ears twitching as flies buzzed around its head. Owen hopped over the gate.

"I'll bet you're enjoying this. Even as an animal, you somehow managed to make me _miserable_ , because now I have to choose what happens to you, and I know that if you get what you deserve, I'm just gonna feel like crap afterwards. Why couldn't you have been the kind of father who I'd _want_ to save? Why did you have to be so crap that feeding you to a dinosaur feels like a valid option?"

The pig grunted. Owen stood over its grubby body, fists clenched.

"It'd be a lot easier to kill a pig than a man, but then again, you've _always_ been a pig, haven't you? I wish Moonwatcher hadn't told me that it's you in there, because now I have to feel badly about making you someone's meal. As much as I'd like to see you get chomped, you're still my father, and it'd be kind of messed up to kill you, even indirectly. Maybe this is how Eli felt."

A pause.

"You don't get the joke, because you haven't been around, and also, you're a pig. But Eli killed an old man, and everyone seems to like _him_ okay now. I'm sure my friends would be okay with this, if they knew what you were like . . . what you _did_ to me."

He glared at the hog, which was falling asleep. Suddenly, he swung his leg out and kicked it in the gut. It squealed and raced across the pen.

"Pay attention when I'm talking to you! You should be scared to death! Why aren't you afraid of me? Why don't you _understand_ me?"

The pig grunted, rocking in the corner of the pen.

"You tried to make me afraid, but now _I'm_ the one who's in charge, and I'm gonna make you regret every time you beat me senseless."

He kicked the gate open and reached for a rope.

"We're gonna pay a visit to some hungry carnivores, how does _that_ sound? . . ."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Moonwatcher hacked through another cluster of tall ferns.

"Come on! If we don't find a blue flower soon, we're screwed!"

Claire walked alongside her on the footpath that ambled through the forest, Jen riding on her back like a bouncy bean bag.

"We'd probably move _faster_ if you didn't insist on slicing through every patch of foliage like you're a cartoon explorer!" Claire growled.

"Ex- _cuse_ me, Claire, but the proper term is ' _animated_ explorer!'" Moonwatcher shouted over her shoulder, "'Cartoon' is a vile term that degrades animation, the obviously superior storytelling medium, implying that it's intended for children! Besides, those ferns were probably fake film fans, and also fascists!"

"The . . . political . . . affiliations . . . of . . . plants . . . can . . . be . . . quite . . . complex," Jen added.

"You didn't say they _weren't_ fascist, so you technically agree with me!" Moonwatcher said, raising her hand, "High five, Jen! Up high! Down low! Too _slow_ , amirite?"

Jen, who had just finished raising one of her hands for the first high-five, lowered it again.

Claire frowned.

"Kinda weird that you're dunking on fascists when that's _literally_ what you _are_."

"I adopt whatever political stance will annoy you the most. Learned from the best. No ethics, just torment."

"Alright, shut it!" Claire interrupted, "This is taking too long. We have to find those flowers before it's too late, and that's pretty soon, by my guess. Moonwatcher, can't you just narrate us to where the flowers are?"

" _No_ , that's NOT how it works." Moonwatcher crowed, crossing her arms with indignation, "Narration exists in _fictitious_ universes. We're in _Asterpara_ , which was created by The Star, as opposed to Overworldians. We're being _narrated_ , obviously, but there's no malleable canon for me to sculpt. There's just established facts that can't be changed, for symbolic reasons."

"We . . . do . . . not . . . have . . . time . . . to . . . engage . . . in . . . rants . . . about . . . the . . . benefits . . . and . . . disadvantages . . . of . . . objectivity . . . versus . . . subjectivity . . . with . . . regards . . . to . . . truth . . . at . . . the . . . moment," Jen said, taking considerably more time than Moonwatcher to finish her sentence, "The . . . flower . . . patch . . . is . . . still . . . quite . . . far . . . away."

"It _wouldn't_ be if I had _my_ way," Moonwatcher growled, hacking through some more plants, "I may not have power over the canon in Asterpara _yet_ , but believe me, I'll crack the code someday! I'll crack this place open like a motherfucking gryphon egg!"

A thick tree stood in Moonwatcher's path, and when she couldn't immediately hack it aside, she punched it several times before giving up and walking around it. Claire was surprised that the glare the tree received from Moonwatcher didn't kill it on the spot. She was equally surprised to see the bark form a glare of its own. She slipped by it, quills bristling with unease.

"You know I've already made pretty brilliant modifications to your world, right? Next thing I'm working on is natural selection. Once I've made sure that my plan is viable, it's gonna be flat-out _gone_."

"You're fighting _evolution_ now?"

"Hell yes! That shit's gotta go!"

Another cluster of plants was hacked away in seconds.

"You people think that nature is always right, but nature never made a goddamn autosaur, did it? By the time I'm through, everything we lost to nature will be restored, and every creature who died an undeserving death will be avenged."

She paused, leaning on her sabre.

"Hey, Claire, what do you call a deer that's born missing a leg?"

She rolled her eyes.

"I don't know, Moonwatcher, what do you call it?"

" _Eaten by wolves_!" Moonwatcher barked as she punched a shrub, "Nature _hates_ those who are different, and natural selection actively _kills_ them to make room for the most boring option! The mechanism for evolution is inherently evil. It thrives on death and ignores the souls it stamps out. That's why I've altered all the deer, to prove that my system works. Now, if a deer on Isla Nublar is born disabled, it comes out with a wheelchair already attached!"

"And if its disability requires something _other_ than a wheelchair? . . ."

" . . . Shut up. Also, deer get awesome-as-fuck anti-predator rocket launchers automatically attached to their heads! That'll even the playing field!"

"I'm not sure that's exactly-"

"They explode their way out of their parents to fatal effect, thus ensuring that they can't be abused!"

"Is abuse rampant in deers?"

"It's rampant in _all_ species. As an added bonus, all deer will be born with missing limbs now, barring any other deviation from the norm. That'll teach the cocky ones a thing or two!"

"You're implying that deer develop privileged beliefs in the embryonic stage? . . ."

"Yes, Claire, they fucking do. None of us are born pure. Even if you come out different, you can't escape those beliefs, because you're taught to hate yourself if you only exist to be someone else's toy with no agency of your own, to the point where you'll explode if you ever have sex, and-"

"This sounds personal."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Be glad that you can fuck, Claire. Even with a weird-ass cunt, you can fuck. But if _I_ fuck, I'll blow shit up, most notably myself, and I don't need that piss-fuckery ending me right now, because I'm already fucking miserable trying to sort _your_ shit out!"

Jen lifted her hand.

"Moonwatcher . . . a . . . word . . . if . . . you . . . please?"

"What the FUCK do you want?" Moonwatcher yelled, whirling around.

Jen shrunk into her shell, slightly.

"The . . . political . . . affiliations . . . of . . . plants . . . is . . . of . . . concern . . . to . . . us," Jen said simply, "These . . . flowers . . . are . . . moderately . . . conservative."

"And?"

"They . . . are . . . offended . . . by . . . curse . . . words."

"I don't give a shit! You hear me, flowers? I'm gonna chop off your taints and feed them to sick people!"

"Whenever . . . they . . . hear . . . curse . . . words . . . they . . . move . . . three . . . kilometers . . . away . . . from . . . the . . . source."

". . . Oh. Shit."

Moonwatcher paused for a moment.

" _Shit_ ," she said more quietly.

Claire shoved her aside.

"Enough of this nonsense! _I'll_ lead the way!"

***TSJWFKFEW***

Owen yanked on the rope, causing the pig to squeal in pain.

"Well, get a move on, then! I don't have all night to find someone who wants to eat you!"

The pig choked pathetically, exposing yellowed tusks. Owen grumbled.

"Don't try to squeeze pity from me! It won't work!"

The animal fell over, lying on its side, wheezing in pain. Owen's lip twitched.

"Stop it!"

He knelt beside the heaving chest. The pig looked up at him through dirt-encrusted eyelashes.

"I'll bet you're faking."

It grunted.

The sound of a motor caught Owen's attention. Eli was driving towards him. He rolled his eyes.

"Great. Just great. Hey, Eli! Do you wanna take this thing off my hands?"

He cocked his head.

"Like, as a pet?"

"As a roast."

Eli shook his head.

"Can't eat organic food. Closest I can do is bio-fuel. Plus, I don't have it in my heart to . . . you know."

"Can you run it over and say it was an accident?"

"No? . . ."

Owen ran his fingers through his hair.

"Great. The one time I actually _need_ you to do something bad, and you refuse."

"Well, I can probably get rid of it for you, if it'd make you _like_ me."

"When did you decide to become a kiss-ass?"

After a pause, Eli raised his eyebrows.

"Well, thank you for not taking the easy joke. You're learning. Anyway, I thought we ought to learn to get along, what with us both being parents to Maisie now."

"But mostly me."

"I suppose. But I wouldn't mind having a kid, you know? Seems kinda fun."

"Well, it hasn't been fun lately."

"Why not?"

"Claire bit Maisie."

"She WHAT?!"

"Yeah, and she's off searching for a flower to heal her . . . without me."

"Oh . . ."

"Didn't you wonder where she was?"

Eli gulped.

"No, I was . . . rock-hunting."

"Rock-hunting? . . ."

"Um, yeah, for . . . my stomach. Dinosaurs swallow rocks, right?"

"Everything you eat is liquid."

Eli batted his eyes.

"Ah. Waste of a day, then. Will Claire be back soon?"

"I hope so, for Maisie's sake."

"Is she seriously injured?"

"She's becoming an Indoraptor."

Eli's eyes went wide.

"Oh. So she'll be a dinosaur, too?"

"Not a dinosaur like you. She's becoming violent."

Eli's face fell. He looked around in panic.

"Where is she?"

"In her room. I'm not allowed to see her."

"I can boost you up to her window."

"Well- HEY!"

Eli dipped his snout under Owen's body, carrying him away. He took the pig in his mouth, biting down gently, so as not to hurt it. When they reached the hotel, they counted the windows, and finding a nearby tree, leaned against it. Eli lifted Owen up to a high branch.

"Climb up and tell me what's going on!"

He did as he was told, begrudgingly. When he reached Maisie's window, he saw her thrashing around on her bed as Iris pinned her down. After a struggle, she subsided, holding out her arm to examine the new quills that had sprouted from it. She buried her face in her paws and started weeping as Iris consoled her.

"Well? . . ." Eli asked.

Owen slipped down his back and landed in the grass.

"She's not doing well."

"Oh, no . . ."

Owen sat at the base of the tree.

"This is all my fault."

Eli shook his head.

"It's nobody's fault."

"Maisie didn't trust me. If she had told me sooner-"

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

"I'd like to be alone, Eli."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"And the pig? . . ."

"Leave it."

He nodded slowly.

"Okay, Owen. I'm sorry this happened, but don't blame yourself. Just find a way to make things right, if you can."

He drove off, leaving Owen alone with his pig-father, who was grazing in a patch of clovers. Owen sighed and leaned his head against the bark of the willow.

"Please hurry, Claire . . ."

***TSJWFKFEW***

"I'm telling you, I remember them being paler!" Moonwatcher barked, "These are _navy_ blue! I think I'd _remember_ navy blue flowers!"

"You . . . said . . . blue . . . flowers . . . and . . . these . . . are . . . them."

Claire snapped at them.

"Enough! _Are_ these the flowers or _aren't_ they?"

"They _aren't!_ "

". . . _are_."

"AREN'T!"

". . . ARE."

Claire snarled and took them in her mouth.

"Moonwatcher, you've done nothing but lead us astray. I'm taking these flowers back to Maisie, and that's final!"

"Claire, wait! You'll never make it back in time!"

"Watch me!"

She sprinted through the forest, kicking up dead bark as she ran. Her feet pounded louder than her heart, and her lungs ached with each breath.

"I'm coming, Maisie, I'm co-"

She skidded to a halt when she saw pale, blue flowers growing around the trunk of a healthy-looking tree. She cocked her head and sniffed them delicately.

". . . No. I can't take that chance. Moonwatcher's trying to poison Maisie for dramatic effect, I'll bet. These must be parasitic vines."

Something inside of her told her that she should at least take both, but the sensible side of her insisted that Moonwatcher was leading her into a trap. She moved on.

By the time she neared the portal, her time was running thin. The passage hung just over the ocean, waiting for her to cross it. She turned her arms into wings and took flight.

No sooner had she cleared the tree tops than a dragon nipped at her tail. She turned back to see Moonwatcher and Jen perched on its back.

"Claire!" Moonwatcher pleaded, "You took the wrong flowers! I'm sure of it!"

She snarled, swiping her paw across the dragon's face.

"Hey!" she snipped.

"I'm sick of your lies!" she roared, "I'm doing this alone!"

"Oh, no, you're not!" Moonwatcher huffed.

On her command, the dragon chased after her, snapping fiercely. Claire screamed into the night, trying to locate an escape route with echolocation. A clap of lightning and a thick downpour interrupted her attempt, and the dragon grabbed onto her leg.

"Wait, Claire! Moonwatcher's telling the tr-"

She bit down hard on the dragon's arm, clutching the dark, blue flowers in her paw. The dragon winced, then prepared to breathe fire. A tiny voice interrupted them.

"I'm . . . slipping . . ."

Moonwatcher gasped as Jen slid down the wet dragon's back.

"Stick, Jen, stick! You're a snail!"

She slid off the tip of the tail, falling towards the ocean with her arms extended. As she did, a massive figure burst from the water. Jen screamed as she fell into the mouth of a hungry whale. The cry was cut short when the lips snapped shut. The survivors stared down in horror.

Breaking from her trance, Claire dove through the portal. It closed behind her. She rushed towards the hotel, flowers in hand, and crashed through Maisie's window. She was lying on the bed, tearing away at her pillow like an animal.

"Maisie!"

When she lifted her head, Claire pried her jaws open and shoved the plant inside, then held her mouth shut as she clawed her in fury. Eventually, she swallowed, still snapping at her mother's paws. Claire let go.

"You're okay, Maisie. You're going to get better, now."

She waited. Maisie's rage subsided, but her saurian features did not. Blinking away the redness in her eyes, she focused on Claire.

"Mom? . . ."

"Is it working, Maisie? Do you feel yourself changing?"

Her lip quivered.

"I- I'm not-"

Another violent spell overcame her, and she thrashed around furiously before collapsing in her mother's arms.

"It didn't work . . ."

"Maisie!"

"Mommy, I don't want to go . . ."

Claire's beak quivered.

"Maisie . . ."

"Please don't let this happen to me . . ."

Claire sobbed helplessly.

"I'm sorry, Maisie. I'm sorry."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Owen turned as Moonwatcher landed in the field beside him. The pig lifted its head, then went back to grazing.

"You're back!"

"Yes, I'm back."

"I saw Claire return. She went to heal Maisie a few minutes ago. Did it work?"

"I dunno. Like I said, I just got back."

Owen sighed.

"Listen, Moonwatcher, about this pig-"

"OH, YOU MISERABLE MAN! DO YOU NOT SEE THAT I'M TRYING TO TRICK YOU?"

Owen frowned.

"Is . . . Is this pig _not_ my father?"

"Even if it _was_ , you wouldn't _believe_ me, _would_ you?"

"I- um-"

She shook her head.

"Just forget it, okay?"

Owen hummed.

"Yeah, okay."

He knelt in front of the pig.

"Hey . . . sorry I kicked you earlier. I thought you were my dad."

The pig blinked. Owen took a deep breath.

"I mean . . . even if you _were_ my dad, that wouldn't make what I did any better. I shouldn't be a monster like _he_ was."

"Oink."

"Yeah, that about sums it up . . . Run free, little piggy."

He lifted the rope from around the pig's neck. Its snout twitched.

"I'm sorry about everything. I hope you can forgive me, someday."

He patted its head.

"I guess it's hard to forgive people, huh? But I suppose it's for ourselves, most of all. I don't think I'll _ever_ forgive my father for what he did, but I can still move on, and make good decisions. How does _that_ sound?"

The pig was petrified. Owen stood, turning away.

"See you later, pig!"

He had taken his third step when the pig spoke.

"Owen? . . ."

Slowly, he turned around.

"D-"

He didn't have time to finish his thought, for at that very moment, a streak of red and cyan darted in front of him, snapping up the pig and shaking it by the throat. Zia dropped the lifeless body and licked her lips. Noticing Owen's horrified face, she gulped.

"Oh . . . Were you going to eat that? . . ."

Before Owen could reply, the pig's body became a glowing light, which changed shape until a white flower grew in its place. Owen batted his eyes.

"White flower, white flower . . . THAT'S THE WHITE FLOWER!"

He tore it from the ground and dashed into the hotel.

"Maisie! . . . Maisie! . . ."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Claire lay over Maisie's sleeping form, stroking her hair gently. She looked at Owen, who sighed gently.

"It's okay, Claire. Everything turned out fine."

"But it almost _didn't_."

"Well, 'almost' makes a big difference."

They fell silent as Maisie's eyes fluttered open. She looked up at Claire with a tender smile.

"That was exciting, wasn't it?"

"That's _one_ way to put it."

She giggled and held out her hand.

"Look what I can do!"

Claws sprouted from her fingers, then sunk back in. Claire felt a lump in her throat.

"Don't do that anymore, Maisie."

"Why not?"

". . . Because it's wrong."

She pouted.

"But Mum, now we're both-"

"Don't."

Maisie nodded sadly. Turning to Owen, she sat up in her bed.

"Are you going to send Mummy away?"

He shook his head.

"No, I'm not."

She smiled and gave him a hug.

"Thank you."

Owen smiled, running his hand down her back, then turned to Claire.

"Do you wanna tuck her in? I have to speak with Moonwatcher about something."

"Sure."

She watched him go, then pulled the covers over Maisie's chin.

"You be good, okay?"

"Yes, Mummy."

"I love you very much."

Maisie sat up a little.

"Are you _going_ somewhere?"

Claire nuzzled her until she was relaxed again.

"I'll always be with you, sweetheart. But sometimes, we can't-"

She broke off when she started choking.

"Get to bed, okay? You need your rest."

She lumbered out of the room with a heavy heart. Maisie rolled over.

"I love you!"

Claire turned her head, but found she couldn't speak. She nodded instead.

She shut the door gently and made her way to her room. She sat down at the desk and wrote a note on the hotel's stickypad.

 _Dear Owen,_

 _I'm sorry for everything I've done. I can't be a part of this family anymore. Take good care of Maisie. Tell her that her Mommy loves her, even if she can't be with her. You two have been the best part of my life. I'm sorry I couldn't fight harder to keep you._

 _Claire_

She slipped the note under Owen's door and stepped into the elevator. Once she was out of the hotel, she didn't stop walking until she hit the beach. Once there, she sprouted wings and flew towards a full moon. Behind her, Eli sped onto the sand, stopping at the water's edge.

"Claire! . . . CLAIRE!"

It was too late.

She was already gone.


	23. Pearl's Happy New Year

Six months.

It had been six months since Claire left the island. Since then, she hadn't had any contact with her family or friends, nor anyone else, for that matter. Now and then, she had brushes with civilization, passing small towns or sleeping near farms in the hope of avoiding wild animals. She had almost been shot, once, during a raid on one such location. The cold weather had been hard on her, and she had been so desperate for food that she had attempted to bring down a cow to feed herself. She was successful in the killing, but had to leave the meat behind when she was caught. It was a waste of energy, and it had put her in danger of being caught, which she considered even _worse_ than being killed. Anyway, she had found a rotting elk carcass afterwards, which gave her enough energy for another hunt, poor as the meat was. Between the lack of fresh grass and the scarcity of prey, she was barely scraping by, but she was alive, and that was _something_ , at least.

She spent her days stripping bark from trees and tracking small game in the snow. At night, she would find a hidden-away place, sometimes a cave, but more often than not, the base of a tree, shivering in her makeshift shelter until morning. She tried not to think of home, because for all intents and purposes, she did not have one now. Whatever had happened to Maisie and Owen, it didn't concern her, and they were probably better off without her in their lives, anyway. Still, there were times when she couldn't help but imagine their smiling faces, and remember the warmth of their touch, and wonder why they were so far apart. But she knew the answer, and instead of running back to them, she simply cried herself to sleep.

There were times when Claire considered going back, but never for long. She could not allow herself to think of her family, or she might be tempted to return, and what then? She did not belong in that life, comfortable though it may be. Harsh as this new existence was, she was at least in her element.

One afternoon, she stalked a deer that was standing in a wide clearing. She had little cover, being black-scaled on a sunlit field of snow, but if she stayed downwind and kept close to the ground, she could make a dash for it.

As she drew near, the doe lifted her head, scanning the frosty landscape for danger. As soon as her eyes fell on Claire, she bolted, but she wasn't fast enough. The animal yipped as she clamped her teeth around its throat, and the white snow became decidedly less so. As the deer struggled to breathe, Claire lowered her head, tears brimming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry . . . I'm sorry . . ."

Gradually, it stopped kicking, and Claire found herself standing over a lifeless body. She suddenly wasn't very hungry, but she forced herself to eat, or this stolen life would go to waste.

It was surprising how little she enjoyed killing, now, and she wasn't sure why this change had overcome her senses. Perhaps having an outlet for her thoughts made the novelty of a kill seem banal. Perhaps she was more focused on her own survival, instead of some leisurely form of violence. Most likely, she was just growing tired of it all, and this particular joy had departed from her life along with all the others.

That night was colder and windier than any she had ever lived through. She shivered under a needle-bare tree, curled in a tight ball of frost-bitten scales. Tears streamed down her face, making paths of ice. She barely noticed. She had taken to remembering the way things used to be, and the ache in her heart overpowered the sting of the cold. She couldn't stop thinking about how Maisie lit up when she saw her coming, how grateful she was to have a mother. And she remembered, in turn, how happy she was to have a daughter, and how no other person had brought as much love into her life as that little girl.

She could feel her heart weakening. She was on the verge of going back, though she didn't know which way to travel, nor where she was situated, in general. As hopelessness set in, so too did the realization that she could not allow herself to go back, not when her family had been living without her for so long.

Slowly, Claire got to her feet and wandered up the side of a lonely mountain. She stopped at the edge of a steep cliff.

This was the end for her. No one would miss a creature so vile. She was an animal . . . No, that wasn't true. She was barely even a real dinosaur. She was nothing. She was _less_ than nothing. She might as well not exist. Soon, she wouldn't.

Slowly, she inched towards the cliff, claws dangling over the side. She looked down. Long fall, little chance of survival. Perfect. She leaned forward.

"You don't want to do that."

She gasped, stumbling backwards. A glowing figure was standing beside her.

"You're . . . You're _me!_ "

"In a way, I suppose, but we are not the same person."

She caught her breath.

"You're the other Claire . . ."

She shrugged.

"To me, _you're_ the other Claire."

"What are you _doing_ here?"

She gestured at the cliff with her massive, feathered wing.

"I'm here to stop you from making a huge mistake, one that _I_ nearly made many years ago. Look, there, in the valley. What do you see?"

Claire squinted. She could make out a dark shape in the snow.

"I see . . . a cabin. A whole ranch, it looks like."

"This was my home. It belongs to no one, now. If ever you find yourself in need of shelter, remember this place."

Claire lowered her head.

"I . . . I don't think I'll ever have a use for it."

"If you live, you will. And you _will_ live."

"How do you know?"

She folded her wing against her body.

"I know many things. I know what scares you most. I know why you decided to leave. Most importantly, I know what's in your heart, and I know that you would never leave your family behind."

"They'll be fine without me."

"Perhaps, but none of you truly wants this."

" _I_ do."

She nodded.

"In this moment, it may _seem_ that way, but you're forgetting that there is so much more that you have yet to experience."

"Not for long."

As she prepared to take the leap, she shut her eyes, leaning back. After a pause, her eyes fluttered open again.

"Aren't you going to try to _stop_ me? I mean, I'm not saying I _want_ you to, but I figured since you came all this way-"

"You're free to choose."

". . . Oh."

"Is something wrong?"

"This . . . This feels like a trick."

"No tricks. You can end your life, if that's what you _really_ want, but I don't think it is."

"Well, what do _you_ know about me?" Claire muttered bitterly.

"Quite a lot. Like I said, I've been here before."

"So why don't you stop me?"

"I don't _have_ to. You've already stopped yourself."

Claire frowned, tapping her curved claws.

"I don't like tricks . . ."

"Neither do I, but this _isn't_ one. How many times have you lost all hope, only to find that something wonderful was waiting on the other side of your despair?"

"There was a lot of misery, too."

"Would you have given up hope during the incident at Jurassic World, if doing so would have kept you distant from your family?"

"No, I guess not . . ."

"Would you have declined the offer to return to the island, knowing that you'd never meet Maisie, if you did?"

"No."

"And would you take your own life now, despite everything that you'll be missing out on?"

"What will I miss? . . ."

"Would you like to find out?"

"Yes . . . Yes, I'd-"

When she turned, the other Claire was gone. She huffed and slapped the snow with frustration.

"Oh, come on!"

"I haven't left you, Claire, and I never will. But you must do this of your own volition. Go on, Claire. Find your new Pearl."

A warm light crossed the snow. Claire stood up straight, beholding a sight most marvellous. A fiery sauropod approached her from the fog. The light that emanated from her figure dissolved into the air like ribbons of light, providing a warmth that Claire thought she would never be fortunate enough to experience again. But this feeling would come many times more, she knew, because she would live to experience it.

She walked towards the dinosaur, placing her paw on its hide. It was warm, but not scorching, as she expected. Slowly, she pressed her forehead against its skin.

"Let's go home."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Riding on the back of the flaming brachiosaur, Claire travelled towards home, alive and awake for every second of her journey. When she arrived at the island, she touched down on the sand with awe, taking in the feeling of home. Her companion gave a valiant trumpet and wandered into the night, leaving her to her family reunion.

When she arrived at the hotel, the first thing Claire noticed was a large Christmas tree. There were no presents beneath it, either because it was a decoration, or because the holiday had already passed. She could hear distant fireworks, which probably meant that they had entered the new year. Exhausted from her journey, Claire collapsed under the tree, deciding to take a short nap. By the time she woke up, however, sunlight streamed through the glass roof. She yawned, then perked up when the sound of Owen's voice came from a descending elevator.

". . . stayed up _way_ too late. How are you so _awake?_ "

Claire smiled as Maisie's voice drew near.

"Moonwatcher said that someone left me a late Christmas present under the tree. I think I know what it is."

Owen's tone was concerned.

"Maisie, I don't want you to get your hopes up. I looked and looked and looked, but I couldn't find-"

The elevator doors opened.

". . . Claire!"

Owen stood frozen in place, absolutely gobsmacked, but Maisie ran up to her mother and threw her arms around her neck, knocking her over (quite a feat, given her size). As she nuzzled her cheek, Owen snapped to attention, pushing open the elevator doors as they started closing on him. He stumbled over to the new arrival with amazement, falling to his knees in front of her.

"Claire, you came back . . ."

She smiled.

"I didn't want to miss anything."

When tears started forming in Owen's eyes, she bit her beak.

"I'm sorry if this is sudden, but-"

He gave her a hug.

"Oh, god, Claire, don't ever do that again . . ."

"I won't."

"And next time, you'd better make damn sure that you bite _all_ of us, so we can live in the forest together as wild dinosaurs."

Claire laughed nervously.

"I can't really picture you as a dinosaur."

"Um, actually . . ."

He held up his hand, which grew pale and sprouted claws. Her jaw dropped.

"Owen, how did-"

"Moonwatcher helped me. When you left, I tried to track you down, but I realized that I needed something more than a human body to do it properly. I searched for long time, Claire, but I couldn't find you."

"When did you give up?"

"I didn't."

She frowned, cocking her head. Owen changed his hand back to normal.

"It's okay. I made sure that Maisie was taken care of during my expeditions."

"By Iris?"

"And Zia and Franklin and Eli and Ben and-"

"Is someone calling me?"

Lockwood rounded the corner, fitted with a brand new set of wheels.

"I thought I heard- Claire!"

He rushed over, smiling with relief.

"You're okay! We thought you had died or- Oh, Moonwatcher gave me this for Christmas."

He lifted a wheel.

"Very comfy. I quite like it. And now I don't have to rely on Eli to drive me everywhere."

Claire batted her eyes.

"Eli's been _driving_ you?"

"And others. He's signed up with that 'Moober' program. Shall I give him a call and let him know that you've come back?"

". . . Yeah."

Claire hated to admit it, but she hadn't even _thought_ about Eli.

"Is he . . . Is he _mad_ that I left without telling him?"

Lockwood shook his head.

"Not at all. He was overjoyed to hear that you've come back."

"Huh? When did you have the chance to-"

"My brain is part phone."

Claire laughed merrily.

"God, I missed how little this place makes sense . . ."

Owen stroked her snout.

"And _we've_ missed _you_. It's been lonely without you, Claire. We've been managing alright, but . . . it's just not the same."

She lowered her head.

"I'm sorry."

" _Don't_ be. I shouldn't have made you feel like . . . Uh . . . What I'm trying to say is . . ."

He took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry. I know I've said it before, but you deserve to know. I was wrong. I was wrong in so many ways that I can't even begin to apologize. I regret my every action, and if I could somehow go back and change everything, I-"

She pressed her horn against his cheek.

"I understand, Owen, and I wish we could-"

She broke off, realizing what she was about to say. She saw the look in Owen's eyes and realized that he knew what she meant. She exhaled slowly, then met his gaze.

"Maybe if things had gone another way, we . . ."

"If only I had been _better_ , you mean."

She nodded.

"If only."

Suddenly, Eli burst into the hotel, eyes wide.

"WHERE'S CLAIRE? IS SHE H-"

He froze when he saw Claire and Owen sitting beside one another. He looked from her, to him, and back again, then gulped.

"Hey, Claire . . ."

She let her paw drop from Owen's shoulder and turned to face him.

"Hi."

After a beat, he nodded towards the exit.

"Can we . . . Can we _talk_ for a moment?"

"Of course."

Claire followed him out of the hotel. Once they were outside, she took a deep breath.

"Eli, I'm _so_ sorry I didn't tell you about-"

He shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, Claire. I'm just glad you're back."

There was a long silence. Eli stared at the ground, refusing to meet her gaze.

"Claire . . . if we . . . _split up_ . . . would we still be friends?"

She felt a lump in her throat.

" _Of course_ , Eli, but we-"

He placed his claw over her beak.

"No, Claire, just listen. I know how you feel about Owen, and I know how he feels about _you_. There's a reason you left him the note instead of me, and I don't want to keep this going if . . . if it's not _real_."

She whimpered.

"But I love you _too_ , Eli."

"Yeah, I know. But it's not the same. I think you'd be happier with Owen. He's changed, since you left, and I think . . . I think you two could be _good_ for each other, you know? I'll _always_ love you, Claire, but I want to see you happy, and I think your life with Owen would be a very happy one, indeed. You two . . . you _deserve_ each other. I don't want to take that away from you."

Claire blinked away tears.

"I don't know what to say . . ."

Eli smiled sadly.

"Just say, 'Okay' . . . and if you can, promise me that we'll still be friends? . . ."

She choked a little.

"I promise."

He nodded.

"Good . . . I don't wanna keep you. Go ahead and join your family."

"Do _you_ wanna come, too?"

He chuckled dismissively.

"Nah, I'd just be a third wheel, so to speak. You enjoy the rest of your day. We can hang out later."

"You sure? You seemed to be in an awful hurry to find me."

"I was . . . excited. To hear that you came back, I mean."

"Was there anything _else_ you wanted to say to me? Other than the whole 'dumping' thing, I mean."

"Other than that? No, not really."

She nodded slowly.

"Well, happy New Year, I guess."

He let out a long breath.

"Yeah. Happy New Year."

He drove away slowly, pausing once to wave goodbye. He smiled when she did, and managed to hold his mien until he was far enough down the road that she couldn't see him. Gradually, his smile turned to tears, and he sobbed on his way back to the maintenance shed. He gasped when someone stepped in front of him, swerving to the side and taking a harsh tumble to avoid the pedestrian. When his chin hit the ground, his hood popped open, and a diamond ring flew out of it. Moonwatcher jogged up to him and picked it up, turning it around curiously.

"Wow, this must have cost a _fortune_. Who's it for?"

"Doesn't matter. She went for another model, so to speak."

"Do you think it's returnable?"

"Not after six months."

"Ah. Well, you never know. You might just find someone who's interested."

"Doubtful."

He rolled upright.

"Sorry for almost running you over."

She waved her hand casually.

"No problem. I was actually looking for you. On a scale of one to ten, how satisfied were you with our Christmas special?"

"Five? . . ."

"Yeah, it wasn't too fun without Claire, was it? Regardless, it was a good learning opportunity, _especially_ for you. The moral of the story is: don't kill old men and attempt to steal their granddaughters. Would you like a Christmas cookie?"

Eli turned his snout up as she pulled dinosaur-shaped gingerbread men out of her sweater.

"Those look expired, and I can't eat them anyway."

"Ah. Well, there's always next year. Maybe then, we can have a proper celebration for a non-denominational holiday compilation that focuses on Christmas the most for some reason. That poor menorah corner got no attention . . . You gonna be okay?"

He took a deep breath.

"I am. As long as Claire's happy . . . _I'm_ happy."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

And he was telling the truth. Although a part of him was filled with regret, he knew that he had done the right thing in letting Claire go. She belonged with Owen, even after everything they had been through. And it might not make much sense to those who hadn't experienced it alongside them.

But anyone who knows what love is will understand.


	24. Ian's Pointless New Job

"CLAIRE! OH, GOD! DON'T PASS OUT!"

Owen held me against his scaly chest. My arm flopped down, hanging limp in his embrace.

"Owen . . ."

"You're losing a lot of blood. I need you to stay with me, okay?"

I tried to nod, but my dizziness would only allow for a blink. Owen gave me a squeeze, then plowed through the hospital doors. He placed me gently on a cot, and I was rushed to the emergency room. He tried to follow, but got stuck in the entrance. Changing back into a human, he freed himself and dashed forward, only to be separated from me by another set of closing doors.

"CLAIRE!"

"Owen . . ." I choked.

Suddenly, Moonwatcher was standing over me with a giant bottle of glue.

"Welcome back."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Let me rewind for a bit.

My life with Owen was better than it had ever been before. Eli was right about Owen having changed while I was away. All of a sudden, everything that had once stood between us melted away, or at least didn't seem to matter that much anymore. For once, Owen didn't act like he was ashamed to be around me, and he rarely ever made comments about wanting to change me, or how much he didn't like me, or how life would be easier if I was human. Come to think of it, I'm not sure why I thought the _old_ Owen was ever good for me. The _new_ Owen, however, was everything I could have asked for, and for a while, life was like a dreamland, practically perfect in every way.

I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that Owen could become a dinosaur now. Moonwatcher had infused him with DNA from an old jawbone she found, plus some extra stuff to numb his predatory instincts, so now he was an Indominus-Stegoceratops, which was similar to my own genetic makeup. The first time I saw him fully transformed, however, part of me wanted to run. I still had unresolved issues with Indominus-type animals, it seemed, so seeing one standing in front of me nearly made me wet myself. Then again, a bigger part of my subconscious was telling me to approach him, because he kind of smelled like me, but also like himself . . . that being the human Owen, I mean. It's hard to explain, but something inside of me recognized him, maybe on a deeper level than when he was human. He looked down at me shyly.

"I guess we kind of match, huh?"

Instead of answering, I walked forward and rubbed my head against his chest, purring loudly. He blinked.

"I've never heard you do _that_ before . . . Kind of a bad sign."

I stopped.

"Oh."

He shook his head quickly.

"No, I mean, it's a bad sign that you haven't done it _until now_ , because it means you haven't been this happy before."

And he was kind of right. For once, I was confident that the two of us would get along, no matter what. The attraction-smell wafting from between his scales was thick as butter, and I knew it would only be a matter of time before we got back on track.

And then, one day, I was sitting in bed next to Owen, reading a book, and he leaned over and asked-

"Do you want to have sex?"

He said it like it was no big deal! And, I mean, it _shouldn't_ have been, but it had been _so long_ since the last time, and he had been so hesitant to try it, and- Well, my answer was "yes", but it took me a second to get it out properly, because I wanted to scream "YESYESYESYESY-"

Ahem. Anyway.

After talking things through, we decided it was time to be intimate again. We discussed how to go about it, since we had a few options to choose from, and decided to try dinosaur-on-dinosaur, as it were. Owen and I had slept together before, so it wasn't that hard to get into the swing of things, but on top of the familiarity was a layer of strangeness, because Owen had never had sex as a dinosaur, and I- Well, I had never had sex with Owen as a dinosaur (in both ways that can be taken).

So I lay flat on the bed, lifted my rear, and-

You know what? I'd better not go on. Moonwatcher might be listening.

Anyway, it was good.

Very good.

Mmm.

Oh, right, the hospital part!

Remember how I mentioned that my privates were designed oddly? Well, Owen's were even _weirder_ , because-

. . . Um, okay, so you know how cats trigger ovulation by pulling out?

. . . You know, because their junk has . . . barbs . . .

Well, as soon as we found out, Owen rushed me to the hospital, and that's where we left off.

He burst through the emergency doors just as Moonwatcher was about to squeeze the glue bottle. Startled, she gripped it too hard, and it squirted all over her hand.

"JESUS, OWEN!"

He knelt beside my cot, weeping.

"Claire, oh, Claire, I'm so _sorry!_ This is all my fault . . ."

Moonwatcher rolled her eyes, extending her arm to lean against the wall.

"You shouldn't be so rough."

I glowered at her.

"Hey! It's not _his_ fault! He can't help the way his-"

Owen waved his hands.

"Shhh!"

Moonwatcher frowned.

"Hang on, are you saying that this was caused by the barbs?"

I nodded slowly. Moonwatcher sighed.

"Then you don't need to be here."

She tore herself away from the wall, leaving a dent behind.

"You're designed to withstand that kind of mating," she explained, chipping away at the plaster glued to her hand, "It'll hurt for a few minutes, but you'll be fine in an hour or so."

I blinked. It was true that the pain had mostly faded away. And I wasn't bleeding anymore.

"Oh. I see."

Moonwatcher nodded.

"Yeah, so if you don't have any further questions, feel free to-"

"Can we do it more than once?"

She seemed surprised by my query, but Owen was even more so. His eyes almost popped out of his head, I swear.

I cleared my throat.

"In a day, I mean. Can we do it more than once in a day?"

Moonwatcher nodded.

"Sure, knock yourself out. Fuck twenty-four-seven, for all I care. Just don't hold up the healthcare system with pointless trips, you horny lizards."

Owen turned to me with worry.

"Claire, you don't have to-"

I placed a claw over his lips.

"Owen. I _want_ to."

He batted his eyes.

"What! Even after-"

"Yes, even after that. I can handle it."

As Owen took this in, Moonwatcher stuck out her tongue in disgust.

"Blech, you must be in heat or something . . ."

I gulped.

"Well, it's been a while since I last felt that way, so I imagine I'm due for a comeback."

She rubbed her chin.

"Huh. I guess it's possible that you're making up for a dry spell. When was the last time you went into heat?"

That was a good question.

"God, I don't even remember," I muttered, rubbing my forehead, "Before I left, anyway. Wasn't much to get excited about in the wilderness, I guess."

Moonwatcher frowned.

"That seems odd. We should figure out when the last time was, precisely. Maybe Eli would remember-"

I cleared my throat.

"Can't you just do some bloodwork or something?"

Moonwatcher shrugged.

"Fine, Miss Hormones. Whatever gets you out of my hair."

She pulled a syringe out of her pocket.

You know, for all her flaws, Moonwatcher sure does have a lot of unexplained medical training.

***TSJWFKFEW***

After my crisis-vacation (the six months I spent on the lam, I mean), I figured there was a lot to catch up on, starting with greeting my old friends. Most of them contacted me first. Gunnar, in particular, seemed anxious to see me again, and sent five emails asking if I was ready for visitors. I told him yes, and he sent three more emails announcing that he was on his way, though each was phrased differently. He was overly-excited, I figured, but a part of me wished he would just text like normal people.

I suppose that would require fingers, but still.

When Gunnar finally reached my room, he was flushed and out of breath. His tongue hung out of his mouth like a sock from a drawer, and his eyes were glazed with exertion.

"Boy, you sure do live high up . . ."

I cocked my head.

"Is the elevator out of service or something?"

He shrugged and cantered into the room, suddenly full of life.

"Gee, I don't think I ever saw where you lived before."

"No?"

He ran his paw over a fancy chair in the corner of the room.

"Naw, I'm pretty sure I haven't been to a suite this fancy. The ones on the bottom floor are pretty junky compared to this."

"Is that where _you_ live, now?"

He shook his head.

"Zia, Franklin, and I moved into a beachside property. It's a little cramped, but kind of cozy, too. Wheatley and Iris live nearby."

My eyes went wide.

"They're not-"

"No, they aren't," Gunnar interrupted gravely, "Never in a million years. Wheatley didn't get the memo, though. Put the moves on her last month, and she punched his teeth out, no exaggeration. But that's all over and done. They get along fine . . . or as fine as they _can_. They _have_ to, since they're working together."

"What?"

"They run a bar on the beach," he explained, "Wheatley converted his arm into a blender. Iris helps him out, because he does NOT know how to mix drinks. He put cilantro in my smoothie by accident, and I wouldn't have cared, normally, except cilantro makes me gassy . . ."

I took all of this in, eyes darting back and forth.

"Wow. A lot happened while I was away."

Gunnar shrugged.

"Yeah, I suppose things have changed since you left . . . but we can still graze together, right?"

I nodded emphatically.

"Of course. I wouldn't want it any other way."

He smiled warmly and placed his paw on my shoulder.

"It's good to have you back, Claire."

"Yeah. I should probably tell everyone I'm here."

And then a horrifying thought dawned on me.

"Gunnar . . . None of my family back home knows I'm here."

He nodded.

"Me neither. They think I'm dead, probably. And Moonwatcher won't let me talk to them."

"Oh, no. I didn't realize you had family . . ."

He smiled nostalgically.

"Yeah, I have sisters. Four now, but there used to be five. Greta, Agatha, Vanessa, Ethel, and little Ruthie. She's the one who passed away. Fell into a grain elevator and sunk when she was six."

I covered my mouth.

"And that's why you're afraid of elevators . . ."

He snorted.

"What? No! What do you think a grain elevator _is?_ "

I tapped my claws.

"Um . . . an elevator for grain?"

He shrugged.

"Well, I guess you're not _wrong_. Anyway, I miss them like you wouldn't believe. They used to practice putting makeup on me, back in my school years. I got called horrible names by my classmates, but I never paid them any mind because I knew that they were just trying to upset me. I guess it hurt when they called me ugly, because _that_ one was true, but my sisters didn't think so, and that was what mattered most to me."

I felt my heart sink.

"Oh, Gunnar . . . Are you _sure_ you can't contact them?"

"Positive. It stinks, but that's life. Life with _Moonwatcher_ , anyway . . ."

"Well, we could always try to convince her to let you visit."

He shook his head hastily.

"Probably not. All of this interdimensional chaos has her spooked. We're finding more and more changed humans, and sentient dinosaurs as well. She's hired someone to evaluate the situation."

I growled impatiently.

"If things are already a mess, what does it matter who contacts who?"

"Claire-"

"I'm going to speak with her about it. You should come, too."

"Can we take the stairs?"

"Gunnar!"

"I'll just catch up with you, then . . ."

I huffed with frustration, leaving Gunnar behind. I felt guilty, of course, but if I was being honest, my flippant exit had more to do with my own hang-ups than anything Gunnar was up to. Once again, I'd left my family behind. What a Claire-ish thing to do. But if I asked Moonwatcher and she said that communication was impossible, I'd at least have an excuse. Not that it erased the fact that I hadn't tried to contact my family _before_ this . . .

I perked up when I heard something shifting above me, freezing in the hotel's entranceway. Without warning, a moderately heavy object dropped onto my back, and I yowled in panic before realizing that it was a saurian Maisie. She giggled fiercely, slipping down from my back.

"You should have seen your face! That's the best I've ever done, and Iris falls for it every time!"

My eyes darted back and forth.

"Very funny, Maisie, but you'd better hurry up and change back before Owen sees you."

She stopped laughing.

"Why?"

Before I could answer, Owen himself stepped out of the hotel. A million excuses flooded my mind, but before I could utter a single word, he grinned and walked right past me, hunching over in front of Maisie (who was a little taller than usual).

"Got Claire, did ya?"

"Mhm!"

"You've been waiting for a new victim."

"She didn't expect a thing!"

Owen laughed and scooped her up in his arms. She crawled onto his shoulders.

"Geez, you're heavy!" he grunted.

"I'm all muscle."

Owen changed into a dinosaur, picking Maisie up by the scruff of the neck and flipping her onto his snout. He tossed her in the air a few times before setting her down in the grass. As she rolled over, he nuzzled her belly.

"Don't you go giving anyone a heart attack, okay? We don't want a lawsuit on our hands."

Maisie twinkled her fingers.

"Paws."

Owen rolled his eyes, shaking his head with exasperation.

"Can you _believe_ this girl?"

Actually, I couldn't believe _any_ of it. I was expecting Owen to lose his temper, but here he was, playing dinosaurs with Maisie like it was a common occurrence. And maybe it _was_ , in the months I spent away from the island.

All it took was me leaving . . .

My heart quivered as I watched Maisie chasing Owen's tail. They both looked so _happy_ , and I felt like an intruder in their relationship. Owen noticed my expression and gulped.

"Claire, are you- YOW!"

He lifted his tail, which Maisie was dangling from. She batted her eyes, then spat it out, dropping to the ground.

"I thought you would lift it away in time!"

Owen groaned, then turned back to me.

"A-ny-way. Is everything alright, Claire?"

It _was_ . . . no thanks to me.

I forced a smile.

"Everything's great. I'm just thinking."

"About? . . ."

Shit. I hate follow-up questions.

"About what we should do today. It's been so long since I-"

 _Not helping, not helping!_

". . . you know," I finished weakly.

Owen nodded.

"We have lots to show you. Wanna grab a drink at the beach bar?"

"Sure!" I chirped, hoping my voice didn't sound as fake as I felt.

He turned his head.

"Alright, then. Follow me."

I realized that he hadn't changed back into a human yet, and wondered if he even _noticed_ anymore.

***TSJWFKFEW***

If I was a dinosaur- and I _am_ \- the absolute _last_ person I'd want deciding my fate would be Ian Malcolm. Of all the people in my own world, he was probably the biggest obstacle in ensuring the safety of dinosaurkind, specifically because he was unfortunate enough to have had a few close calls with the wild ones. But that was back when dinosaurs were animals, so bringing him back into the dinosaur debate _now_ would be ludicrous.

It was unsurprising that the idea came from Moonwatcher.

I wasn't the _only_ recent arrival on the island, it turned out. Moonwatcher had hired the chaotician himself to, quote, "Assess the interdimensional damage, because that's math, right?"

Anyway, he was somehow a metaphysical safety inspector now, despite having no qualifications for the job. In case it wasn't painfully obvious, this made me sour.

"It's unfair!" I snapped, slamming my paw against the table.

The other patio patrons gave us questioning looks as Franklin choked on his ham and mustard sandwich.

"Claire, calm down! He doesn't have any _real_ power."

I growled.

"The man's a menace! You remember what he did to our cause!"

Zia shrugged, bobbling the cone around her neck (she had been treated for a twisted stomach while I was away, much to my everlasting guilt).

"Well, he's apparently a lot better in _this_ universe."

I snarled.

"But we're not _dealing with_ the Ian Malcolm from this universe. Our new safety inspector is the same . . . _poopyhead_ who messed up our plans at the DPG!"

Owen picked at his fingernail.

"Well, I don't see what the problem is. We're doing fine, here."

"So what happens when he goes to Sorna and sees dinosaurs behaving like wild animals?" I countered, "He could use that as propaganda!"

"I thought you _liked_ the idea of Sorna."

"I _do!_ And I think that dinosaurs should be free to choose a traditionally saurian lifestyle if they want to, but it's going to look _horrifying_ to an outsider who's been told that we're basically all humanoid."

Owen shrugged.

"I dunno. _I_ got used to the idea. It just took a while."

"Yes, but we don't _have_ a while, Owen, and- Hang on, what?"

He smiled sheepishly.

"I'm used to wild dinosaurs. While you were away, I went to Sorna to visit Dory. Thought it might help to have some insight on where your instincts might take you. Dory didn't know much, but we had a nice chat. It's really interesting how things work on that island. The prey-animals get eaten, but just as often, they take down predators, and when everyone dies, they decompose, and that makes grass, just like they said in The Lion King! It's the Circle of Life, except it's dinosaurs, not lions."

I stared at him, utterly baffled. He grunted dismissively.

"I've been watching a lot of cartoons lately."

Maisie popped up behind him.

"I _make_ him!"

Owen grinned.

"You're a real pest, you know that?"

She giggled.

"You can't get rid of me."

"Wanna bet? Maisie, go long!"

Owen pulled a dead mouse out of his pocket and tossed it across the beach.

"YEET!" Zia remarked.

I watched in stunned silence as Maisie leapt into the air and caught the catapulting critter. Owen smiled when he noticed my shock.

"Don't be _too_ impressed. We practiced that one _a lot_."

I sputtered.

"I mean . . . _That's_ not the shocking part . . ."

Owen realized what I meant and looked away uncomfortably.

"Yeah, I guess it's a lot to take in. By the way, I only use mice. I have this _thing_ about rats . . . Actually, there's something I should tell y-"

He flinched as a hunk of metal emerged from the earth, cracking the patio in the process. An oryctodromeus wearing a hardhat poked his head out of the ground, followed by two more dinosaurs, both holding shovels. Owen crossed his arms.

"Let me guess. You took a wrong turn at Albuquerque?"

The lead digger glanced from side to side.

"We're working on a new expansion of the subway system. Are we almost at Mount Sibo?"

"Not even close."

The dinosaur snapped his claws.

"Damn. Well, better safe than sorry. Don't want to dig into a magma deposit by mistake."

They fell back into the abyss, leaving a terrible mess behind. Owen quirked a brow.

"Hey, Claire. You ever notice how _weird_ this place is?"

***TSJWFKFEW***

That night, I awoke from a terrible nightmare. I was back in the woods, covered in frost and near death. I had lost control of my limbs. A mob was after me. I didn't know who they were, but I had a vague sense that they wanted me dead. I woke up before they reached me, and as the echoes of the howling wind faded from my mind, I slipped out of bed and crawled towards the bathroom.

I splashed water over my face, pausing to look at my reflection. It's funny how you don't realize how unreal a dream is until you're back in the waking world. When you're awake, you know that everything around you is real, but in a nightmare, it's impossible to tell if you're really there, or if it's all in your head.

My quills bristled when I picked up the sound of rustling sheets. There was a sharper sliding sound, and I poked my head through the half-closed door to see what was going on. Owen was sitting up straight in bed, hand grabbing the sheets where I had been sleeping. I churred gently to get his attention, and when he noticed me standing in the doorway, relief washed over his face. I hopped up on the bed and assumed my previous sleeping position. Owen kissed my cheek, then wrapped his arms around me, just a little too tightly. As I lay there beside him, guilt ate away at my heart. It was rare to see Owen so vulnerable, but for a brief moment, I had glimpsed a genuine reaction to his worst fear. I now knew how afraid he was of losing me again. For a second, maybe less, it seemed as though I had utterly destroyed him. But I _hadn't_ left, and that meant everything was okay . . . only that wasn't true, and I knew it. I could smell fear coming off his body, not only because of his strong reaction, but because it was still being produced. He was thinking about me . . . about _losing_ me. He was worried.

I wanted to assure him that I was here to stay, but something was stopping me.

I wasn't entirely sure that I _would_.

***TSJWFKFEW***

I could feel Owen lying on top of me. During the night, he had shifted onto my belly. I initially assumed that he had done so to pin me down and keep me from leaving, but his position was haphazard, and his pants had half fallen down in the climb. I placed a claw on his chin and closed his mouth, which was oozing drool. He snorted and looked around woozily.

"Wha? 'S time to geddup?"

I curled his hair around my fingers.

"Good morning, Owen."

He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and pulled up his pants. I was bold enough to lick his cheek, and he kissed me in return. There wasn't a single kiss from Owen that I hadn't enjoyed. Even when he kissed me so fiercely that his stubble felt like fire on my lips, he made my knees weak.

"I'm sorry about last night."

It just kind of slipped out. I didn't mean to address it directly- _or at all_ \- but there it was.

Owen scratched my chin pleasantly.

"Don't worry about it. You did nothing wrong."

I cooed softly.

"Are you _mad_ at me? For leaving the island, I mean?"

Jeez, I couldn't stop myself. But Owen didn't even hesitate.

"No, absolutely not. I'm mad at myself for . . . for making you feel like you _had_ to."

I tried to argue, but he put his finger over my beak.

"We both know, Claire. We don't have to pretend like it was something else. Part of taking responsibility for my actions means admitting that it was my fault."

"Not entirely," I argued feebly, "I was going through a lot of stuff at the time."

"Stuff that was _also_ caused by me."

I licked his nose.

"Owen, it's okay. You don't have to beat yourself up."

"No, but I think we should admit that I messed up. A lot. I'm sorry."

I curled my tail around him.

"I forgive you."

He seemed like he wanted to say something else, but instead, he shivered as my tail snaked up his pant-leg. He moaned softly and ran his hand down my side.

"Did you get me up early for a reason?"

I smiled coyly.

"Maybe . . ."

He laughed and rested his chin on my chest.

"Oh, god, I missed you."

***TSJWFKFEW***

After lunch, Owen took me on a long walk down the beach to see the rest of the gang. We bumped into Gunnar along the way. He wagged his tail cheerfully when he saw us coming, then bounded forward, kicking up clumps of wet sand.

"I was going to meet you at the hotel, but I must have been going up just as you were leaving!"

I laughed.

"Take the elevator, Gunnar!"

He hummed.

"Yeah, well . . ."

"OWEN!"

We all jumped as a gruff voice interrupted our conversation. Well, _Owen_ didn't jump. He looked _angry_ , in fact.

A large pig was trotting up to us, ears flapping as he bounced. I shook my head with confusion.

"Owen, I thought you said-"

"I forgot to mention that Moonwatcher cloned my father from a hoof she found in Zia's stomach, but it doesn't matter because he's not welcome here, as I've mentioned several times."

Owen's father slowed down, ears drooping.

"I- I heard that your lady-friend was back, and I thought-"

"This doesn't change anything between us, and you know it. You're just looking for an excuse to force your way back into my life when I explicitly told you that you aren't welcome in this family."

"Son-"

"I have enough problems _without_ you. Beat it."

The pig nodded slowly, then turned around with a sullen expression.

"Well, if you ever change your mind-"

"Not interested."

"Yeah, but maybe someday-"

"Never gonna happen. Leave me alone."

The pig licked his tusks sadly, then trotted away. He looked over his shoulder once more before disappearing into the jungle. I turned to Owen with concern.

"That was . . . something . . ."

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Claire," he stated monotonously, "I thought I had shaken him for good, but he's still trying."

"Owen . . ."

"I didn't want him back. I was fine with the way things ended, but . . ."

Gunnar bit his beak.

". . . Moonwatcher had other plans," he explained.

Owen nodded.

"It doesn't matter, though. He'll be staying far away from us. I'll make sure of it."

I gave him a concerned look, and he turned away with guilt.

"It's for the best, Claire. I can't have him in my life. It's wrong."

I wasn't quite sure that he was approaching this in a healthy way, but I didn't feel like arguing.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Well, I was having trouble settling into my life on the island, but although the past few days had been stressful, at the very least, I didn't have to deal with any unexpected crises.

Until Iris came bounding up to me in panic during an otherwise peaceful breakfast, that is.

"There's been an accident! Someone dug a tunnel under the hotel and tampered with the power box! Gunnar is trapped inside one of the elevators!"

You bet your ass I was on the scene as soon as I heard the news. The elevator doors on my floor were parted slightly, and the box itself was just below floor-level. A maintenance worker paced back and forth nervously as I climbed through the window at the end of the hallway, sucking leathery wings back into my arms.

"The power's shut off, and it's stuck in place! He refuses to climb out!"

I peered into the darkness.

"Let me try."

I swiftly stepped onto the elevator and heard a feeble whimper below me. I unlatched the escape door and dipped my head down, noticing a very panicked Gunnar curled up in the farthest corner. His pupils were pinpoints, and he was staring at me like I was about to bite his face off. I dropped down into the elevator.

"G-"

Before I could utter a single word, he wheeled around and pawed at the walls like a rat in a trap, trumpeting with terror. I reached out for him.

"Gunnar, it's okay. We're gonna get you out of h-"

I yelped as he struck me with his back leg. He tossed his head and lowed frantically.

"Gunnar!"

I gasped as he pinned me to the wall. My neck was caught between his horns. He had almost impaled me. Worse still, he hadn't given up. Though a sharp tug revealed that his horns were firmly rooted, he clicked his beak, trying to nip at my chest. I attempted to clamp his mouth shut with both paws.

"Gunnar, you- OW!"

He caught my arm in his beak. I withdrew my paw, whimpering. I could feel tears stinging in my eyes. Without thinking, I placed my foot on his chest and pushed him away. He landed on the other side of the elevator, collapsing into a trembling heap. I grazed the fingers of my uninjured arm over the holes that his horns had left behind in the wall. If his aim had been better . . .

I turned to see him huffing on his side, limbs splayed out like a broken toy soldier. I didn't approach him this time, but as his breathing steadied, his eye flicked over to me.

"C-Claire? . . ."

"No, it's the Easter Bunny."

He bit his lower beak as he caught sight of my bleeding arm.

"Oh, no . . ."

"You're pretty nippy, for a herbivore."

My sardonic scowl became a worried frown as Gunnar started shaking. With each shudder came a sob, growing louder and louder until it filled the entire space. I lowered my head to get a better look at him, biting my beak with worry.

"Gunnar? . . ."

"I've done a terrible thing . . ."

I gulped.

"Uh . . . Well, if it's any consolation, I've been there before. You're lucky you don't have razor-sharp teeth, at least . . ."

He wailed and covered his face with both paws. I reached out for him, slowly this time.

"Hey, Gunnar, don't be upset . . ."

"I'm a terrible friend!"

"No, you're not."

"I . . . I can't do anything right! All I had to do was ride in an elevator, and- and- and- . . . What's _wrong_ with me?!"

I patted his head gently.  
"Nothing's wrong with you, nothing's wrong with you . . ."

He slammed his foot against the floor.

"Yes, there is! Why can't I do something as simple as sit still for ten seconds? I know it's safe. I know nothing will happen. Why can't I be like _normal_ people?"

I shrugged.

"Well, you're a dinosaur, for one thing-"

"I'm still a _person_. But not a very good one."

I pressed my beak against his side.

"Gunnar, you're a wonderful person."

"But I hurt you."

"It was an accident."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't the _first_ time, was it?" he hissed, tears trickling down his cheeks.

I shook my head.

"The past is in the past . . . Besides, you were nowhere _near_ as bad as Eli."

"I guess you're just drawn to the people who hurt you the most."

After a beat, his eyes went wide.

"Sorry. I didn't mean that as a dig on you. I was-"

"Yeah, I know. But I think you're right. Sometimes, I hate myself so much that it feels satisfying when people validate my fears, and I surround myself with them because of it. But I'd much rather have friends like _you_ , who love me for who I am. And everyone else, I can cut out of my life."

"I don't know why you'd settle for _me_ , though."

I smiled.

"You should love yourself more, Gunnar. All of your friends do."

Suddenly, the elevator jerked into motion. Gunnar dropped to the ground and curled up in a ball. I sat beside him and placed my paw over his.

"It's okay. I'm here."

He trembled as we ascended, and as the doors opened, he covered his eyes, devolving into a whimpering blob. When nothing happened, he peeked between his toe-nubs, then bolted through the doors, collapsing in the hallway. Zia and Franklin rushed to meet him, hugging his neck from both sides. As they spoke words of comfort, Gunnar's face softened, and he started crying again. Before anyone could ask if he was okay, he scooped his friends into a big hug, weeping with relief. I trotted up to him serenely.

"Feeling better, Gunnar?"

"Mhm," he squeaked, nodding with a quivering lip.

I smiled and gave him a nudge.

"Next time, give us a call before you visit. One of us will come to walk you up the stairs."

After a pause, he started bawling happily. I was so touched that I almost didn't notice Moonwatcher burst through the floor of the elevator. She batted her eyes innocently.

"Ah, I see everything is resolved, then. And what's more, I've fixed the elevator . . . with the exception of the hole I just made."

I cocked my head.

"Was this another one of your evil plans, Moonwatcher?"

". . . 'Evil' is a relative term. But to answer your question, no, it was not a planned event. This was a complete accident. I don't want to look bad in front of our new safety inspector. Or whatever the new Ian is doing. I dunno. I just hired him to do pointless surveys. Anyway, it's all fixed now. The elevator, not the world. That's still crap."

I hummed.

"So, have you come to tell us something, or . . ."

She shook her head.

"Nope. Just wanted to see you all getting along. Makes me happy."

"I see."

"Yeah, it's small potatoes compared to the Eli arc, though. Speaking of, have you checked up on him recently?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, breakups are hard, and he has a . . . history. Best make sure he's not pouring sugar into his gas tank."

I blinked.

"Or cutting his brakes," Moonwatcher added.

I twisted my mouth.

" _Killing himself_ , Claire! My god, you're bad at metaphors!"

I gasped. Moonwatcher covered her mouth.

"I'm sorry. That must have been distressing to hear. I promise never to confuse metaphors with figures of speech again."

She ducked as my tail swung over her head, but I was already bolting towards the window by the time she started cussing. Sprouting wings, I shot towards the setting sun, praying that I wasn't too late.

***TSJWFKFEW***

I burst into the garage, heart pounding as I prepared to walk in on a grisly scene. Eli, who had been screwing his eyebrow in place, lifted his head rapidly, startled by my sudden appearance. His head made a metallic clang as it collided with a ceiling-pipe.

"Ow . . ."

"Eli, you're okay . . ." I sobbed.

He frowned with concern as I wrapped my arms around him. His paws slipped down to my shoulders.

"Claire, what's going on? . . ."

"Moonwatcher said . . . Oh, Eli! She said you were about to- to-"

"To what?"

". . . To die . . . To _kill_ yourself."

He batted his eyes.

"Huh?"

I buried my snout in his chest.

"Eli, I thought after what happened, you might be pushed over the edge, and-"

He shook his head quickly.

"Claire, no! No, no, no! A million times, no! I wouldn't _kill_ myself just because we broke up. And if someone ever _did that_ , it wouldn't be _your_ fault."  
"But you . . . I mean, in the past, you-"

"I'm _better_ now, Claire, and it's mostly thanks to you. Sure, I get sad every once in a while, but I haven't thought about doing myself in since . . . Well, since before we got together, I think. And it's not like you're the only thing keeping me alive. I still have my friends, my job . . . _a life_. And you're still a part of that life. Just in a different way. I'm not about to give that up."

I bit my lower beak.

"Eli . . ."

He placed a claw under my chin.

"Claire, I'm fine. Yes, breakups are messy, and yes, it made me sad- I even find myself regretting it, at times- but I'm sure that I made the right decision, for once. Knowing that you're happy makes _me_ happy. That's almost _better_ than having a relationship . . . and there's more to life than having a girlfriend, you know."

"I suppose . . ."

He shrugged sheepishly.

"If it makes you feel any better, it was a tough call, and I would have been proud to be yours, but you belong with Owen. It's like the universe _wants_ you two to be together . . . it probably _does_ , come to think of it . . . because narratives? . . ."

I gulped.

"I know I should be happy, but in a way, I still love you, and I feel awful, leaving you alone."

He shrugged.

"Like I said, I'm not alone. Maybe I'll find someone else, maybe I won't, but I have a lot of love in my life at the moment, in any case, and that's enough to keep me going."

I swallowed.

"But Eli . . . I shouldn't have _left_ you . . . _Before_ , I mean."

He nodded.

"Yeah, it was kind of hard, at first, waking up without you lying there beside me, but I'm fine now. And I think we'll all be better off if you're with Owen. I _really, actually, honestly_ believe that. You two are gonna be great."

"And _you?_ "

"I'll be your friend. Yours and Owen's, I mean. And I'll probably find something new to fill the extra hours. The world's my oyster."

After a long silence, Eli lowered his head.

"Claire, what's this _really_ about?"

I closed the door behind me to make sure that no one was listening.

"What I did was wrong. I _abandoned_ you, and then I came back and broke your heart."

"My heart is working just fine."

"But I did something _terrible_."

"Claire, we've _all_ done something terrible. You, me, and Owen . . . we're broken people, all of us. But we can _fix_ ourselves. We're fixing ourselves _right now_. You _shouldn't_ have left, but you _did_ , and you're back now, so everyone's fine, and I don't see the problem. I _forgive_ you. We can move on."

" _Can_ we?"

"We always have. Always will. Because we'll _always_ be friends."

"Even if we do shitty things?"

"Even then, but something tells me it'll happen less and less as time goes on. Look at where we started, Claire. Look at where we are _now_."

I cocked my head when I heard someone calling my name in the distance. Eli heard it a few seconds later.

"Sounds like Owen."

"Yeah. I should be going soon. Don't want him to catch me here."

"Why not?"

"Well, he might be . . . uh . . ."

Eli gave me a skeptical look, but I didn't finish the thought, because Owen knocked at the door.

"Eli, is Claire with you?"

I gulped.

"I'm here, Owen."

He opened the door, sighing with relief.

"Good. Moonwatcher said that I would find you here, but I was worried that . . . Well, I was _worried_."

He turned to call over his shoulder.

"Maisie, peanut, Claire's in the garage!"

A saurian Maisie scampered through the door and flung her arms around my neck.

"Mummy, I was so afraid! . . ."

I felt my throat quivering.

"I'm here, Maisie. Just wrapping things up with Eli."

"Oh. Are we going to see him less, now?"

Owen rubbed the back of his neck, then let his arm drop.

"I think I should wait outside for a bit."

I wanted to tell him that there was no need, but decided that it might be better to have a private talk with Maisie and Eli. I crouched in front of my daughter, wrapping my tail around my legs awkwardly.

"Maisie, Eli's still my friend, but we-"

"I know you're not with him anymore, but will we ever see him again?"

Eli laughed.

"Maisie, I'm not _going_ anywhere. I mean, statistically, we'll be spending a _little_ less time together, but I'm here if you ever need me."

Maisie nodded.

"I think I'm going to miss the way things were."

"But they'll be _better_ now."

"I suppose. Are you going to miss this, too?"

Eli waved his paw.

"Nah, I'll get over it pretty quick. But for the record, you would have been a pretty cool daughter."

She hugged his wheel.

"And you would have been a pretty cool dad."

Suddenly, Eli's face fell, and I could tell that he was on the verge of tears. I was about to step in and suggest that we leave, but he bit his lip and patted Maisie on the head.

"Thanks, honey. Could you tell Owen to come back in for a second? There's some adult stuff we need to discuss before you go."

She nodded and skipped out the door. While we waited for Owen, I tried not to notice how much of a struggle it was for Eli to hold back his tears. When Owen entered the room, he brightened up a little.

"Hi."

"Hey. Maisie said you wanted to talk?"

Eli nodded.

"Now that Claire's back, we need to sort out a few things."

Owen gave an understanding nod.

"Right, right . . . If this is about Friday Night Drinks, it's still on."

I did a double-take.

"Excuse me, what?"

Eli smiled.

"When you were gone, Owen and I went out for drinks every Friday night. We caught up on our progress in finding you, discussed potential sightings, came up with search plans . . . but I guess later on, we did it just to loosen up a bit."

"That part can stay the same," Owen declared.

I scratched my wrist awkwardly.

"Oh. I guess it must have been hard for you, figuring out who Maisie would stay with while I was gone."

Owen shook his head.

"Whenever one of us was searching or unavailable, she stayed with Iris and the gang."

Eli shrugged.

"I mean, sure, it was rough now and then, but we managed okay."

Owen nodded in agreement.

"This one time, we had to take Maisie bra-shopping, and she started crying because-"

The way he cut himself off led me to believe that _I_ was the reason for her breakdown.

". . . Anyway, we calmed her down, and it was fine. We helped each other. Everyone pitched in, and . . . Well, she's doing okay. Maisie is well-adjusted. She'll be even better, now that you're back."

Somehow, I doubted that.

Owen yawned.

"Well, it's time we left. But Eli, you know that you can visit whenever you want."

He nodded.

"Will do. Get home safely. Don't stay out too late. Lots of weirdos running amok."

"My ears are burning."

I leapt around in surprise as Henry Wu came stomping down an oversized staircase, wearing a set of large, striped pyjamas. His casual attire confused me, at first, because I would have otherwise assumed that he was up to no good, but he seemed to be at home in this building. Eli smiled sardonically.

"Right, Claire, you weren't told! Henry's my upstairs neighbour now. He's working as a genetic . . . Shit, what was your title, again?"

Before Wu could answer, Eli waved his paw.

"He edits genes on the fly. He's saved countless lives, and he prevented a serious outbreak of Monoceratonucleosis on Sorna last week."

Wu rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm a hero. Are we done here?"

Eli snorted.

"Are you really gonna pass up an opportunity to boast?"

"It's late. I'm tired. I'll brag in the morning."

Wu yawned, then gave me a nod.

"Welcome back. Maybe Mills will finally stop whining about how lonely he is, now that you've returned."

Eli's lips tightened.

"Um, Henry-"

Owen uncrossed his arms.

"You know they broke up, right?"

Wu blinked.

"Oh. Well, buy yourself a blow-up dinosaur, then. I don't care."

He slithered back upstairs. Eli shook his head, laughing.

"He's nicer than he seems. He just doesn't show it well. And everything I said about him is true. He's really turned over a new leaf."

Since I left, of course. What a surprise.

Owen laughed and nodded to the door.

"Come on, Claire. Let's get Maisie home."

***TSJWFKFEW***

Getting Maisie home turned out to be a harder task than anticipated. Being an Indoraptor-ish dinosaur meant that she could cover a lot of distance if she wandered, and that night, she sure did wander. We found her at the beach, sitting next to a big, pink blob, which turned out to be a pig, I realized as we got closer.

Disaster.

Owen's frown evolved into a scowl, and he rushed forward to- I can only assume- slap his father until he turned into bacon. He managed to dodge the attack, however, and instead of going in for a second attempt, Owen promptly scooped up Maisie and kicked sand in the swine's face.

"If you _ever_ talk to my daughter again, you're a _dead man_. No more warnings!"

The pig squealed sadly as Owen marched away. Maisie peeked over his shoulder.

"He wasn't hurting me."

"No, but I'll bet he said some nasty things about us."

"He told me that he wanted to see you again, and that he's sad that you don't like him anymore."

Owen's frown deepened.

"Yeah, well, he sure didn't feel that way when he beat me black and blue."

Maisie seemed horrified by his remark. Owen took notice of her worry. Gulping, he handed her off to me.

"Claire, can you take Maisie home? I need some time alone to think things through."

"Sure."

He nodded, then promptly turned away. As he marched down the beach, I could see his fist clenching and unclenching to match his dark thoughts. His father watched him leave too, and when his son had disappeared into the jungle, he took a step towards me. I snarled.

"Back off!"

"You know Owen's being unreasonable . . ."

"So what if he is! You're a _monster!_ "

I noticed that he did a quick scan of my body.

"I'd like to think that I'm better than that, now," he grunted.

"No. You had your chance. Some acts are unforgivable."

The pig stared at me in silence, then turned away, plopping his rump in the sand. I heard him sobbing. Maisie, who had changed into a dinosaur to match my defensive posture, shot me a worried look. I picked her up by the scruff of the neck.

"Hey, you!"

I tensed up. Moonwatcher came barreling through the sand, pushing Lockwood in his new chair. He grasped the foot rest (hand rest?) in panic as she charged across the beach.

"Don't let the pig leave! We have something important to do!"

She came to a lurching halt in front of Owen's father, much to Lockwood's displeasure. After a pause, she waved her hand.

"Say the line."

"Why?" Lockwood snuffed.

"Just say the line!" she growled.

He frowned.

". . . That'll do, pig?"

Moonwatcher snorted with glee.

"Golden! Okay, we're done here."

Maisie cocked her head, and her grandfather shrugged. When he realized that Moonwatcher had left without him, he did a double-take.

"Wait! I can't roll on sand!"

I trotted up behind him.

"Don't worry. I'll get you home."

As I pushed him forward I felt something tugging on my tail. I kicked Owen's father off of me.

"Piss off, pig!"

"Wait! Please! Just give me a chance!"

"It's _Owen's_ decision, not mine."

He squealed in panic and tried to cut me off.

"Listen, lady, I know we don't have a good rapport, and I probably look delicious to a . . . _person_ such as yourself, but-"

I snapped my jaws.

"I don't eat _trash_."

He gulped, intimidated by my exposed teeth.

"I just want a second chance. Please let me see my granddaughter. I don't have any other family."

"And you never _will_."

The pig looked down with regret, but his face soon hardened. He glared at me with unfiltered hatred.

"You should have stayed in the wild, dinosaur! You don't _belong_ here!"

Although I understood that he was lashing out at me for the sake of it, and that he didn't know me very well at all, his words struck a nerve. I carried Maisie away from the vile creature, accompanied by her grandfather, who rolled freely when off the sand, heading back towards the hotel, hoping that I could be alone with my thoughts for an hour or so. I was disappointed, however, because as soon as I entered the lobby, I saw just about everyone I knew gathered by the fireplace. They were sharing drinks and laughing about something I probably wouldn't understand, like an inside joke they came up with in my absence, or a funny story that I hadn't been around to experience. Their voices rang in my head, and I felt my quills bristling with anger. Gunnar noticed that I had arrived and trotted up to me gleefully, unaware of my sour expression.

"Claire! I rode the elevator today! Zia and Franklin offered to come with me whenever I need them, and I'm not afraid anymore!"

I growled.

"I'm sure they were very helpful in solving your problem."

He bit his lower beak.

"I thought you'd be happy for me . . ."

"WHY DO YOU _CARE_ WHAT I THINK?! YOU WERE ALL BETTER OFF _WITHOUT ME!_ "

The room fell to a hush. Suddenly, I felt very small, surrounded by so many friends whom I hadn't seen in months. They were practically different people, now. Not my friends at all, even. Everything had changed while I was away, and changed for the better. Without me, life would have been perfect from the start. But not only had I ruined these people's lives, but I had come back when I was clearly an unwanted burden. I was ruining their perfect existence.

I felt tears stinging in my eyes. Bowing my head with shame, I tried to hold them back, but it was too late. My cheeks became wet, and I felt myself preparing to turn away and flee, but Gunnar approached me before I could run. I was about to brush him off, to pretend that everything was somehow okay, but instead of concern, I saw something else in his face. He frowned sadly.

"Claire . . . you have this all wrong. We didn't get here because you were gone: _you're_ what brought us together in the first place. Without you, I don't think I would have _ever_ left my pasture. I owe _everything_ to you."

Franklin nodded.

"Yeah, Claire. You started the DPG. You brought me to the island, taught me how to be brave, and stood by me when everyone else had given up on me. If there's even an ounce of confidence in me, it's because of _you_."

Zia smiled.

"We may not have always been easy on each other, but it was all worth it, in the end. You helped me ditch dolphin meat, first of all, and . . . Well, I don't know if I've ever told you this, but I admire your patience, and your ability to listen. There's a lot in this world that makes me upset, and even if I don't show it, I get scared sometimes, but when _you're_ around, I feel like it's all gonna be okay, because you're so put-together. I should tell you these things more often . . ."

I bit my lower beak, choked up. As I hugged Zia, Wheatley stepped forward.

"I don't know you very well, but I'm only out of jail because you set that precedent. Thanks."

Wu scratched his neck.

"I got a cat because of you. That's nice, I guess."

Lockwood rolled towards me, eyes filled with warmth.

"You took care of Maisie, and because of your guidance, she's become a fuller, more sincere version of herself than I could have ever imagined. And because of you, I got a second chance. I didn't know how good things could be until you showed me a better way. When we first met, I didn't know how important you'd be in restoring my relationship with Maisie, but now . . . we're happy. I'm better off for having known you."

As I turned to Eli, he smiled sadly.

"Well, what do I even say? . . . You know what you did for me, and . . . and I don't think I could ever put into words how much I appreciate it."

I gulped.

"But, Eli-"

"No but's. You changed my life. Everything I have now is because of what you did. I can't even begin to thank you for what you've given me, but . . . I just want you to know how much you mean to all of us."

Owen put his hand on my horn.

"We _love_ you, Claire, and don't you ever, _ever_ think otherwise. For six months, we've missed you more than we'd miss the air we breathe. It was like a part of us was torn away, and now that you're back, we're finally whole again."

Gunnar wrapped his arms around my neck.

"We love you, Claire. Now and always."

Slowly, everyone gathered together in a not-quite-group-hug, because the dinosaurs among us were purring and rubbing snouts. Still, it was a miracle that I was now surrounded by a crowd of former enemies, and forever-friends. I was so lost in thought that I barely moved as they wove around me, but when Owen put his forehead against mine, I came back to life.

"I . . . I don't know what to say . . ."

Franklin smiled.

"You don't have to say anything. We got this."

Tears of relief trickled down my cheeks, and I returned each and every hug. When we finally broke apart, we stood idly in the room, glancing this way and that.

"So . . . what do we do now?" I asked.

Owen shrugged.

"Probably stick together. I mean, we're friends, after all."

Wu snorted.

"Took us long enough."

I bit my beak, smiling. Suddenly, Franklin perked up.

"Hey, does anyone wanna go for a movie?"

Everyone muttered in agreement, and they slowly filtered out of the room. I nearly forgot to follow them, but Eli nudged me with his tail.

"Hey. Sleeping Beauty. You coming, or what?"

I grinned and followed him, letting Owen walk with his hand on my side. We stepped into the night, forming what could be described as the strangest herd that's ever existed.

But now that we were together, I realized that this was the way things ought to be.


	25. Dingo Joe's Rawrsome Safari Adventure

G'Day, friends.

Dingo Joe Thunderguns signing in with another heart-pounding adventure, featuring nature's most exotic and dangerous animals!

This week, I'm exploring the farthest corners of Isla Nublar, hunting down the most vicious dinosaurs known to man.

Our journey begins not with a dinosaur, but with a mysterious creature that defies evolution as we know it. This seaholphin has his tail curled around a bouquet of flowers- probably some kind of grieving ritual, based on the tears flowing down his snogglety-snoot. He appears to be several months pregnant with a snail's eggs. See the swell on his belly? He looks just about ready to sneeze out those little hybrid babies and-

"C-c-couldyoup-p-pleases-s-stoptouchingmyb-b-bellyIaminthemiddleofgrievingthelossofmybelovedJenandI-I-I-WAAAAAAAAAH!"

Alrightee, well, let's move on to our first dinosaur, the agathadon. Now, this four-horned beast is a hybrid of agathaumas and iguanodon. Watch how he chews the vegetation. His teeth are designed for gnashing and tearing. Just another marvel of evolution.

"Um . . . what's with the camera crew?"

Quiet! I'm filming a documentary!

"Oh . . . Am I supposed to _do_ something?"

Just stand there and chew, you useless hunk of meat!

". . . Okay."

See how his molars are serrated on the edges? That's to help grind up the leaves he tears off the tree with his beak. It's not enough to digest them fully. For that, he'll have to swallow a few rough stones.

"Actually, I don't do that. I just take these special pills so I don't have to-"

STOP RUINING MY NATURE DOCUMENTARY, YOU BORING HUNK OF LARD!

Ah, yes, and here we see the utahorsinoceratops in his natural environment. A solitary creature, this pathetic weakling will never find a mate.

"Dude! I've been dating for several months!"

"Ha! Come off it, Franklin."

"No, really, Zia!"

"Why haven't I heard about it, then?"

"I TOLD YOU SEVERAL TIMES!"

"AND I ASSUMED THAT YOU WERE LYING!"

"I WASN'T!"

"Okay, Franklin. I believe you. So do we gotta fly her down from Canada, or-"

"She lives right here on this island, and you know her!"

"Mhm."

"It's true!"

"Then who is it?!"

". . . You're going to make fun of me, aren't you?"

"I'll make fun of you _less_ if you just tell me who it is!"

"Perry."

"Perry? Like, the big, green dinosaur with the spiky frill, Perry?"

"Yes! You got a problem with that?!"

"No, I mean, aside from the age gap-"

"Sixty five million years?"

"No, Franklin. She's from the park, which means she's probably less than half your age."

"Oh. But she's adult dinosaur."

". . . Well, as long as she's an _adult_ dinosaur, there's nothing weird about you two dating."

"And also sleeping together."

"Ew, Franklin!"

"I haven't had anything to brag about until now, gimme a break."

"Alright, alright. Still kinda creepy, though."

"Speaking of creepy, what's with that guy hiding in the bushes?"

"The wh-"

And with that, we move on to our next subject. Follow me!

Ah, now here's an interesting specimen. This Indoraptor-Stegoceratops hybrid is unique in her breed. See how she swells near the belly area? Her excessive volume indicates-

"PARDON?"

Calm yourself, lizard! I'm just saying that the buildup of fat around your abdominal area an sign of- AH! Put me down!

"Claire!"

"Owen! I was just-"

"What'd he do?"

"He was making fun of me."

I wasn't teasing you! I was just saying that you have more weight around your belly than-

"I think it's best that you don't finish that sentence."

Fine. I'll just find another subject to film. You, there!

"Me?"

Yes, you! How would you like to be in a nature documentary?

"I-"

Perfect! Open your mouth.

"Lige dih?"

Exactly. Folks, this is a Mosadon, the most deadly predator to roam the sea and sky. Each tooth is several inches long, and they are constantly being replaced so that this terrifying creature can satiate its bloodlust.

"Blawluh?"

I'm going to step inside this fierce creature's mouth. Judging by her breath, she's just fed, and- AH!

"Pththth! You're repulsive! What gives you the right to just step on my tongue with your filthy boots?"

I'm a nature documentarian-ist. My entire job is violating the boundaries of wild animals. Now turn around and lift your t-

***TSJWFKFEW***

Alright folks, we're back from our break. I've recovered from a recent injury. Lost a few teeth, but that's what happens when a wing strikes your jaw at full force.

The meguanodog has made contact with the agathadon. Don't be fooled by their shared genetic line. These two creatures are polar opposites. Let's see if I can get closer to this fascinating encounter.

". . . just started to feel really depressed, and I don't know why. I want to break down constantly, but it seems foolish when I can't even figure out what's upsetting me."

"It doesn't have to be one thing, or _anything_. Sometimes, we just get sad, and that's okay. Are you on any medication?"

"I've been thinking about taking antidepressants, but I'm worried that this is a situational problem."

"But if you don't know what's making you depressed-"

"I know, I know. But I have an idea of what usually makes me sad, so it's probably a combination of several things."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"I do, but at the same time, I can't. Every time I try to talk about what happened . . . right before I came here, I break down. I don't like thinking about it. I feel like I'm gonna throw up, and sometimes, I do."

"It's normal to be afraid of death. It's probably even _more_ normal for people who _did_ die already."

"I think that makes it worse. I'm so afraid, Zia. I'm a prey animal on an island full of predators, and I know it's awful to say, but they scare me. They don't mean to, obviously, but every time I see a set of sharp teeth, I feel like fainting."

"Well, what about Claire and Franklin and me? We're all part predator."

"But you're all my friends. And for the record, I _did_ almost hurt Claire, once."

"Maybe you just need to keep making friends, then. It's hard to be afraid of things when you make yourself comfortable around them. I can introduce you to my carnivore friends, if you want."

"I guess having more friends could help, but it's also a lot of pressure. What if they don't like me?"

"Then they won't like you. Some people don't get along. Doesn't mean they're bad or evil or unworthy of love. Just remember that your friends are here, and- HEY! THERE'S THAT SAME CREEP HIDING BEHIND THE FLOWERPOT!"

"The wh- ZIA, NO!"

AAAAAAAAAH!

"YOW!"

". . . Sorry, Gunnar. I haven't been able to control my electric outbursts yet."

". . . No . . . Problem . . ."

". . . Hey, that guy isn't looking so good."

"Oh my god. I think you _killed_ him, Zia!"

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! This is, like, the _second_ time I've killed someone by accident. Moonwatcher's gonna be so pissed!"

"What do we do?"

"Grab the legs."

"Zia!"

"I SAID GRAB THE LEGS!"

"Oh, god . . ."

"Alright, now _lift_ . . . a little further, a little further . . . and, done. Wait here while I grab a shovel."

. . .

"Well, it's just you and me, charred corpse. You wanna hear something sad? This isn't even the worst day of my life . . . Probably the worst day of _your_ life, though . . . Oh god, I'm in so much trouble."

"Gunnar!"

"AH!"

"Relax, it's just me. Start digging."

"I don't have a sh-"

"JUST USE YOUR HORNS."

"Okay, okay."

"Right here."

. . .

"Hey, did you ever see that movie called, 'Thank God It's Friday'?"

"Gunnar, we're burying a body."

"Yeah, but have you?"

"No. Is it good?"

"I don't know. I never saw it. There was an ad for it that played a couple of times, and it popped into my head just now."

"Oh."

"It's weird how these big movies take so much effort to make, and they have all these big stars, and then nobody talks about them ever again."

"Yeah."

"I mean, at least everyone remembers Xanadu because of how bad it was."

"You know, it's not even _that_ bad."

"Yeah, you're right. Why was it known as a famously bad movie? It's just kind of forgettable."

"I think people had different standards back then. Nobody knew about stuff like Birdemic or The Room, so whenever a major release was even a little bit bad, people put it on Top Ten lists."

"That's probably true. How is it that you know more about things than me when you're so young?"

"I've talked to a lot of elder lesbians."

"That sounds like one of those fantasy games."

"You play video games?"

"I've only heard of them. But I did play Pong when it came out."

"Jesus, Gunnar."

"I'm not even _that_ old!"

"Okay, okay. Help me with the legs."

"Oh, god, why did you have to kill someone so _burly?_ "

"It's not my fault!"

". . . Maybe we should come clean, Zia. Sooner or later, someone's bound to find out, and then-"

"Gunnar, we can't let anyone find out. Things have been really precarious lately."

"Precarious how?"

"I'm back on dolphin meat."

"Zia, no!"

"Look, I'm sorry, but dolphins are delicious! And it's not just canned meat anymore. I was almost arrested the other day for taking out a live dolphin near the beach. The cop let me go, but if she finds out about this, I'm toast, even if it _was_ an accident."

"Zia, you can't keep eating dolphin meat-"

"I can so! Look, what am I supposed to do, now that this giant seahorse-dolphin thing is hanging around? He looks so delicious, I can hardly stop myself from jumping on him. If I just keep going with regular dolphin meat, nobody sentient gets hurt."

"I mean, dolphins are arguably the smartest-"

"GUNNAR! I HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM!"

"Admitting it is the first step to sobriety."

"And what are the other eleven steps for dolphin meat addiction?"

". . . Um, Jesus, or something? Submitting yourself to Jesus? Something about submitting- Zia, please don't give me that look, I don't mean it in a sexual way."

"Gunnar, unless Patricia from the gas station is secretly Jesus-"

"Bleh, I don't want to hear about it. It's gross."

"Gunnar!"

"No, I mean, not because you're a lesbian. I just think that intercourse in general is unpleasant."

"Are you asexual?"

"No! I mean, maybe. I mean, no! I just don't want to have sex with anyone, really. But I want a wife and kids, not that that's gonna happen."

"Why not?"

"Well, just _look_ at me. I'm fifty one, and I'm the only member of my species to ever exist. I technically shouldn't even be _real_. Agathaumas isa dubious species at best, so how exactly am I _half_ Agathaumas, again?"

"I dunno. You're asking someone with electric superpowers. But Gunnar, you don't have to worry about being unique. Why don't you start a relationship with another kind of dinosaur, or a human?"

"Who would ever want me?"

"Gunnar, don't-"

"But it's true, though. I'm not particularly charismatic or attractive, so what hope do I have of wooing someone?"

"There's a lid for every pot."

"Yeah, but I'm more like a kettle."

"But the pot calls the kettle black, and the point of the expression is that they're basically the same."

"They're the same color, but nobody likes kettles."

"Why not?"

"Like everything in the kitchen, if you don't use them a lot, they just take up space."

"Oh, come on. You're not a waste of space."

"Some people would disagree."

"Like me!"

"AH!"

"What the hell, Moonwatcher?!"

"Just stopping by to inform you that I have to give you an official warning regarding your behavior."

"We didn't _mean_ to kill him."

"No, I was referring to Zia being so open about her polyamorous lesbian relationship. We're going to get in trouble with the network."

"Well, this is the first I'm hearing about this. Zia, why haven't you introduced me to your girlfriends?"

"One is on fire constantly, and the other doesn't want Claire to know that she's here."

". . . What."

"Sorry Gunnar, but you'd never lie to Claire, so I can't tell you about it."

"Oh. Well, anyway, I don't think it's hurting anyone, Moonwatcher."

"No, but we won't continue to air if you step too far over the line. It'd be different if you were doing it as a joke, or if you were magical talking rocks that we could claim don't have genders or sexualities, all the while heavily coding you with both, but otherwise, we can't let normal polyamorous relationships be talked about."

"I mean, I _did_ just mention that one of my partners is constantly on fire, and I have electric superpowers, but I know what you mean. Don't you control the media, though?"

"Yes, but I need to run things past the board. Unless I revolt in a bloody fight to the death with each member individually, I can't do anything about their censorship."

"And just to be clear, they have a problem with consensual relationships, but not literal murder?"

"Well, to be fair, this guy isn't dead. He's just zonked out. You really should have brought him to a hospital before immediately trying to dispose of the body."

". . . Oh. Then I guess this isn't a problem."

"I mean, it's still-"

"You know what? I'm bringing him to the hospital right now."

"Yeah, good call."

***TSJWFKFEW***

And that's why I was forced to renew my exotic animal handling certificate.

Stay tuned for more adventures from Dingo Joe Thunderguns!


End file.
